The systematic starvation of the people of Gaza by the Israeli occupation army is one of the harshest conditions that a human being can go through on earth, and this is what is happening in Gaza today, where food is used as a weapon against civilians, leading to mass suffering that amounts to death.
Systematic starvation eradication.
In the Gaza Strip, hunger is not an emergency or a natural consequence of war, but part of an organized policy that is consciously and planned. The blockade has turned into a means of subjugating the population, as food, medicine, and basic needs have been denied in a deliberate way that keeps people on the brink of starvation without the full extent of famine. It is deliberate, systematic, and used as a silent weapon against civilians in an attempt to weaken their will and their steadfastness.
Read more about Famine in Gaza
Demonstrations of starvation in Gaza
The "extermination of starvation" is one of the most lethal forms of human abuse, and this type of extermination has been evident since the beginning of the last aggression, through a suffocating siege and deliberate targeting of systems that provide food, water and medicine.
1. Prohibition of entry of foodstuffs
It is a deliberate and deliberate prevention of the entry of essential food into the Gaza Strip, through the closure of crossings through which aid enters, the delay or denial of permits for food trucks, the restriction of types and quantities of permitted items, and the targeting of trucks as they move. This is not because of war conditions, but rather a systematic political and military decision to cause mass starvation.
2. Targeting agricultural land and farmers
The Israeli occupation targets agricultural land and fields, which leads to the complete destruction of crops, burning of trees and planting, as well as the destruction of irrigation systems and reservoirs. Farmers who approach their land, especially near border areas, are shot by direct military means, not by indiscriminate consequences of war, in order to destroy the local food source and prevent people from farming or harvesting.
3. Hit supply chains
Targeting the routes through which food, aid, and essential goods move from their sources (such as warehouses or crossings) to populations in need inside. Directly or indirectly, whether through bombing, siege, or administrative ban, which leads to the collapse of the flow of food and medicine within the Strip. Through the targeting of trucks carrying aid or food items en route to camps or distribution areas, storage centers and warehouses, and the Israeli occupation targeting roads and tunnels used to transport materials, in addition to targeting transport and fuel stations.
4. Prevent water and fuel
It has become rare to obtain clean water for drinking and use, as a result of the Israeli occupation targeting infrastructure has contaminated groundwater, and with the prevention of the entry of aid and bottled drinking water, the situation has worsened especially in the heat this summer where people are thirsty, in addition to forcing people to drink contaminated water, which leads to outbreaks of diseases.
With the complete closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing, and the bombing of fuel tanker and water stations, the desalination plants have ceased to function, the bakeries and transport were disrupted, and hospitals have collapsed due to fuel shortages.
Read more about Fuel Crisis in Gaza
The Impact of Starvation in Gaza
The Gaza Strip witnessed the death of at least 111 people, including almost 80 children, with a daily increase of about 10 cases, in addition to children under treatment for malnutrition despite the collapse of the health sector, and all of the Gaza Strip is currently suffering from malnutrition, which reflects health effects on them:
1. Severe malnutrition as a result of starvation eradication
Children go to bed hungry, parents can’t get enough food, and mothers are forced to feed their babies water and sugar instead of milk. The result, children with lean bodies, prominent bones under the skin, severe pallor, weakened immunity, and stunted growth. Many are taken to barely functioning hospitals, where they are diagnosed with severe malnutrition, with 800 children admitted for treatment for severe wasting. But treatment is not available, and medical food is banned. As the sick and elderly who cannot bear hunger, their health deteriorates rapidly, and death is an inevitable consequence of lack of food and care.
2. Infectious Diseases
As a result of the lack of immunity due to hunger and malnutrition, and the lack of safe water for drinking and use, diseases spread significantly, especially among children and the elderly, and there are no adequate medicines or vaccines for children due to the collapse of health care in the sector.
3. The collapse of healthcare
Hospitals are no longer places for treatment, but arenas for constant pain, hospitals are simultaneously treating the wounded of the bombing and famine without fuel and medicine, the injured are increasing, children are suffering from wasting and malnutrition, while medical devices are threatened with disruption due to the depletion of fuel. Doctors work without enough materials, even the most basic painkillers are unavailable, while the occupation authorities refuse to bring in medical supplies.
4. Long lasting effect
The cessation of physical and mental growth in young people, and the increased risk of dying in the following years due to destructive immune systems and preventing their education, is the painful reality for an entire generation. Many children are unable to develop normally; their bodies are weak, their weight is low, and their minds are unable to absorb, malnutrition not only weakens the body, but also extinguishes the brain energy and paralyzes the child’s ability to learn and think.
