Human rights groups warn of mass starvation in Gaza, calling for immediate aid entry and an end to Israel’s blockade.
The Government Media Office in Gaza reported on Wednesday that at least 115 Palestinians have died as a result of famine and malnutrition, amid a near-total absence of food, water, and medicine in the besieged Strip.
“With the famine worsening in the Gaza Strip, we call on the world to immediately break the blockade and allow the entry of baby formula and humanitarian aid for the 2.4 million people under siege,” the office said in a statement, warning against the spread of misinformation regarding the entry of aid.
Amid growing concern, Amjad Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGO Network in Gaza, told Al Jazeera that every passing moment increases the risk of death for malnourished children.
He called for urgent international pressure to compel Israel to allow humanitarian aid into the territory.
The International Rescue Committee also sounded the alarm, expressing deep concern over reports of children and infants dying from hunger.
‘When I Slept Hungry’: My Testimony on the Exhausting Hunger in Gaza
In a statement, the committee described the situation in Gaza as a “man-made hunger crisis” caused by the near-total blockade and severe restrictions on aid, and urged the immediate delivery of food, water, and fuel to the more than two million people in need.
In a related statement, Amnesty International accused Israel of using starvation as a method of warfare and a tool of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The organization stated that Israel’s control over aid distribution has turned humanitarian relief into a weapon of war.
“Israel is deliberately starving the Palestinian population. The genocide in Gaza must end now,” Amnesty said, calling on Israel to immediately lift all restrictions on aid, allow the United Nations to take over distribution, and ensure safe, unrestricted access for civilians in need.
The organization also urged the international community to break its silence and take decisive action to ensure Israel’s full compliance with international humanitarian law.
Israel has maintained an 18-year blockade on Gaza. Since the beginning of the current war on October 7, 2023, more than 202,000 Palestinians have been killed or wounded, the vast majority of them women and children.
Over 14,000 people are still missing, and an estimated 1.5 million have been left homeless as a result of Israel’s ongoing military campaign and bombardment.
(PC, AJA)
