Gaza Facing Man-Made 'Mass Starvation', WHO & Aid Groups Warn; Israel Blames UN & Hamas
Gaza residents are suffering from man-made mass starvation caused by Israel's restrictions on aid, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday — an assessment echoed by more than 100 humanitarian organizations.
Israel is pushing back, acknowledging a “lack of food security inside Gaza,” but calling aid agencies’ claims “Hamas propaganda” and arguing that the UN is failing to distribute hundreds of truckloads of available aid sitting on the border.
DIRE NEED, NOWHERE TO GO
The WHO reports at least 21 children have died from malnutrition so far this year, though warns that the figure is likely to rise. The UN World Food Program says one in three people in Gaza go multiple days without eating.
“It’s man-made, and that’s very clear,” Tedros said from Geneva. “This is because of the blockade.”
The blockade: Israel cut off all supplies to Gaza in March, only partially lifting the blockade in May. Israeli officials are blaming Hamas, which governs Gaza, for stealing aid and selling some back to Palestinians in need. They say aid creates a lifeline for the terror group, which Israel has vowed to destroy following the October 7, 2023, attacks.
Israel has vowed to continue the war until Hamas surrenders and returns the 50 Israeli hostages, about 20 of whom are believed to be alive, who it has been holding for nearly 2 years.
Israel adds that over 4,500 aid trucks have entered Gaza since May, with hundreds more waiting for the UN at the border. Still, the current flow is far below the 500–600 daily trucks the UN says are needed.
The few locations where Palestinians can now access first-come, first-served aid are in military zones run by U.S. security contractors working on behalf of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Hamas-run health authorities claim more than 1,000 people have been shot and killed while trying to obtain aid, though there are conflicting reports about whether Hamas or Israeli forces are responsible.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said Wednesday that 10 people died of starvation in the past 24 hours, bringing the total reported hunger deaths to 111 since the war began. Obtaining accurate figures remains difficult, as Israel has blocked Western journalists from accessing the enclave.
Israel and the U.S. withdrew Thursday from ceasefire negotiations with Hamas due to the group’s newest demands.