Gaza Famine Crisis: Leaders Condemn Using Hunger as Warfare

(The Post News)- A human rights crisis worsens in the Gaza Strip as global leaders and human rights organizations blame Israel for employing famine as a weapon against Hamas in its war. With more than 122 people, including 83 children, officially dead from starvation, the United Nations has sent out an alert of a "man-made famine" sweeping the Gaza Strip Palestinian enclave. Israel announced on Friday that it will begin allowing foreign countries to airdrop assistance to Gaza, following global condemnation and mounting pressure. A top IDF official told Sky News, "Starting today, Israel will allow foreign countries to drop aid into Gaza," a policy shift after months of restricted entry of aid. But aid organizations warn that such airdrops are a temporary and unsatisfactory solution. In March, five Palestinians were killed when a parachute malfunctioned, and dozens more have drowned attempting to swim out to collect items parachuted into the sea. World Central Kitchen (WCK), whose operations in Gaza were suspended after Israeli attacks claimed the lives of several employees in November, resumed its food distribution operations. However, UN agencies report that the territory runs low on specialized therapeutic food employed to treat thousands of children suffering from acute malnutrition, and it is expected to be depleted by mid-August. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who had an emergency phone call with the leaders of France, Germany, and Italy on Friday, expressed that what is happening in Gaza is a "humanitarian catastrophe. Starmer further urged that Israel immediately permit Gaza to receive the food and aid that it so sorely needs. Since Israel imposed a complete blockade on Gaza in March—relaxed in May—more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed attempting to arrive at food aid, the UN stated. Gaza's Hamas-led Health Ministry reported nine new starvation fatalities on Friday alone. UNICEF, a UN agency for children, reported that 5,000 children have been treated for acute malnutrition in the first two weeks of July, and the number keeps increasing. According to UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, parents are also starving and not able to care for their children—families are falling apart. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called the crisis "man-made mass starvation," and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus directly attributed it to the Israeli blockade. UN officials say Israel has stopped them from inspecting the contents of aid convoys and distribution sites, often operated by the U.S.- and Israel-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The GHF, which began operating May 27, has been criticized for its lack of transparency and access. More than 1,000 have been reported killed near its aid points due to Israeli fire. This is more than 1,000 individuals shot and killed while trying to get food, according to Ajith Sunghay of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the UN. "People have been killed out of desperation." The Israeli government has consistently denied allegations of starvation as a weapon, saying that there is no famine in Gaza and accusing Hamas of engineering the crisis. An Israeli government spokesman, David Mencer, declared that it is "a man-made shortage caused by Hamas." The IDF reiterated that it "categorically rejects claims of intentional damage to civilians," and that any violations of its rules of engagement were being examined. A Friday statement claimed the army is "trying to enable and decrease the delivery of humanitarian aid," despite widespread reports to the contrary. U.S. officials also shrugged off charges that aid is being weaponized and instead blamed Hamas for the suffering. "This humanitarian crisis is at Hamas's feet," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott declared. Amidst worsening conditions, negotiations for a ceasefire again broke down. US negotiator Steve Witkoff abruptly stormed out of negotiations in Qatar, charging that Hamas had shown "a lack of will to reach an agreement on a ceasefire." The Hamas denial claimed it was dedicated to negotiations for a final ceasefire. Outrage around the world intensifies. On Thursday, more than 60 Members of the European Parliament urged action on Israel right away, calling the EU out for embracing double standards when dealing with Palestinian civilians. "Palestinian lives are not equal," MEP Irish Lynn Boylan said. "To criticize Israel elicits an immediate reaction and censorship." French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would formally recognize the State of Palestine in the UN General Assembly in September—a historic diplomatic move endorsed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Israel condemned the action, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu terming it "a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism." While the toll in Gaza reaches over 59,000 dead and over 143,000 wounded and the enclave rushes toward total collapse, the international community is calling for immediate, steady support and a lasting political solution. "This is not a humanitarian failure," Macron declared. "It is a moral and political failure of the international community to prevent genocide."