Israel’s man-made famine killing more Palestinians than bombs and bullets: report

The United Nations (UN) has warned about Israel’s deliberate policy of starving Palestinians, who are grappling with famine and disease that are taking their lives at a more rapid pace than Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri, submitted a report on Monday to the UN General Assembly, detailing how the food shortage and deplorable hygienic conditions in the besieged enclave pose a serious threat to the lives of Palestinians amid the Israeli military offensive.

“Israel’s ‘starvation campaign’ in Gaza is killing more people than bombs and bullets,” the report said.

The findings of the report highlighted that the destruction of Gaza's food supply chain, agricultural land, ports, and fishing vessels completely cut off all sources of food for Palestinians.

“In turn, Israel then used humanitarian aid as a political and military weapon to harm and kill the Palestinian people in Gaza,” the report read,

While humanitarian aid is the last and final option for Palestinians, Israel's siege of the enclave is also depriving them of access to it.

How was Isr. able to starve 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza at unprecedented speed and intensity?

I answer this question in my new report. I'll be discussing my report with the @UN General Assembly on Friday, October 18. https://t.co/FSmQm77SCs

Here's a 🧵...

— Michael Fakhri (@MichaelFakhri) September 8, 2024

The report mentioned that out of 34 Palestinians who have died of starvation since October 7 in Gaza, the majority of the victims were children.

Michael Fakhri stated that Israel is attempting to “erase” Palestinians from their homeland and territory, adding that Israel occupied more Palestinian land in 2023 than in any other year in the past 30 years.

He called for countries to "impose economic, political, and cultural sanctions on Israel" to address the grave crisis of food and safety experienced by Palestinians.

Fakhri stated that starving Palestinians of food is an Israeli strategy that did not start on October 7; rather, the occupation blocked aid to Gaza in 1991 and 2000.

“Israel has been destroying the Palestinian food system for 70-plus years— destroying orchards and farms, harassing and killing peasants, fishers, and shepherds,” he said.

He highlighted that the Israeli restrictions are also extended to other Palestinian cities.

Several human rights organisations, including the UN, have been warning about famine-like conditions in Gaza since July.