Hamas to Arab World: Break Gaza Siege, End the Silence
The group accused Israel of using hunger as a weapon of war in its 22-month-long assault, which has devastated the civilian population and crippled essential infrastructure.
In a statement published on Telegram, Hamas condemned the international community's 'shameful silence,' saying it amounted to complicity in a war that has pushed over two million Palestinians into starvation, displacement, and death.
'The famine in the Gaza Strip has reached dangerous levels,' the statement read, urging Arab and Islamic nations to 'take urgent action to break the siege and allow aid to enter.' Hamas also called on the United Nations to fulfill its responsibilities and end what it called 'a vicious cycle of killing, extermination, and starvation.'
The group said Israel's deliberate use of hunger and denial of basic necessities constitutes one of 'the most heinous crimes in modern times,' particularly against children. Human rights organizations have consistently warned that Israel's continued obstruction of aid and systematic targeting of civilians may amount to war crimes.
The situation on the ground confirms those fears. On Saturday, the Gaza Government Media Office warned that more than 650,000 children under the age of five are at risk of starvation due to the ongoing blockade, now entering its second year.
International voices echoed the alarm. At a UN Security Council session on Wednesday, Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, gave a grim account of conditions in Gaza.
'We cannot describe the situation in Gaza with words,' he said. 'Food is running out; those who ask for it risk being shot, people are dying trying to feed their families, and field hospitals are receiving bodies.'
Fletcher emphasized that humanitarian needs must be met without endangering the lives of those seeking aid. 'Civilians are facing death, injury, forced displacement, and deprivation of dignity,' he warned.
Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' spokesperson, added to the sobering picture on Tuesday by stating that at least 875 Palestinians have been killed while attempting to obtain food, with 674 of those deaths occurring close to humanitarian aid centers.
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