Israel's Starvation of Palestinians in Gaza 'Deliberate Policy': Amnesty
On Monday, Amnesty International issued a report citing new testimonies of starved displaced civilians, which provide compelling evidence that Israel deliberately uses starvation as part of its 'ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.' Firsthand Accounts
The Amnesty report cited the testimonies of 19 Palestinians, currently staying in three makeshift camps for internally displaced people (IDPs), and two medical staff members who treat malnourished children in two hospitals in Gaza City.
The report concluded that 'Israel is carrying out a deliberate campaign of starvation in the occupied Gaza Strip, systematically destroying the health, well-being and social fabric of Palestinian life.'
It added that the Palestinians' testimonies affirm Amnesty's repeated findings that the deadly combination of hunger and disease is the intended outcome of Israel's plans and policies to deliberately inflict on Gazans 'conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction – which is part and parcel of Israel's ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.'
In July, Amnesty International gathered evidence showing that Israel and its aid distribution system, run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), use starvation tactics against Palestinians as part of the Israeli ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip. Expanding Gaza War
Israel is moving forward with plans to expand its military offensive in Gaza, aiming to seize control of Gaza City in the north, the enclave's largest urban center and shelter to one million Palestinians.
As a result, the Israeli military intensified its airstrikes and bombardment on entire residential neighborhoods in and around Gaza City.
This included Zeitoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, which the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor said that the Israeli military was razing to the ground, destroying around 400 homes by using remote explosive robots and quadcopters.
The Israeli military also announced it would start relocating Gaza residents from combat zones to areas in the south of the enclave. Dire Humanitarian Situation
The Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns at Amnesty International, Erika Guevara-Rosas, pointed to the severe consequences of Israel's plans to expand the war amid the worsening humanitarian conditions in the Strip.
'As Israeli authorities threaten to launch a full-scale ground invasion of Gaza City, the testimonies we have collected are far more than accounts of suffering, they are a searing indictment of an international system that has granted Israel a license to torment Palestinians with near-total impunity for decades,' she said.
'To even begin reversing the devastating consequences of Israel's inhumane policies and actions, which have made mass starvation a grim reality in Gaza, there must be an immediate, unconditional lifting of the blockade and a sustained ceasefire,' Guevara-Rosas added, stressing that 'any plan to entrench the occupation of Gaza or escalate the military offensive must be halted.' Widespread Malnutrition
Gaza is enduring a worsening starvation crisis, amid a sharp rise in malnutrition-related deaths. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, 258 Palestinians, including 110 children, died from malnutrition-related complications, as of August 17, 2025.
Moreover, the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned in July that the 'worst-case scenario of famine' is 'now unfolding' in Gaza and the number of people, including children, dying from starvation will continue to increase. Stern Warning
The Amnesty senior official warned of the devastating consequences of occupying Gaza City. 'An already catastrophic situation risks spiraling into even deeper horror if Israel implements its plan to launch a full-scale ground invasion of Gaza City,' Erika Guevara-Rosas said.
'Such a military operation would deliver a devastating and irreversible blow to the two malnutrition stabilization centers operating in the city, and to decimated healthcare facilities,' she added.
She called for the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, emphasizing that 'starvation must never be used as a weapon of war.'
She also urged Israel's allies to take action to end the ongoing war. 'In the face of the horrors Israel is inflicting on the Palestinian population in Gaza, the international community, particularly Israel's allies, including the European Union and its members must uphold their moral and legal obligations to bring an end to Israel's ongoing genocide.
'States must urgently suspend all arms transfers, adopt targeted sanctions and terminate any engagement with Israeli entities when this contributes to Israel's genocide against Palestinians in Gaza,' Erika Guevara-Rosas said.
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