Man-made famine
Listen to article
On May 11, just hours before Israeli American hostage Edan Alexander was released by Hamas, the nation of Gaza was celebrating news of a nearing ceasefire. Soon after Edan was received by his family, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that his country is "on the eve of a forceful entry to Gaza". While international politicians negotiate and Palestinian civilians are deceived over and over again, Gaza slowly sinks into a man-made famine caused by an almost 3-month-long blockade of food and medical aid.
A recent UN report suggests that 93% of the population of Gaza is currently living through high levels of acute food insecurity, with 1 in 5 people at risk of death due to starvation. A situation of unimaginable horrors in Gaza is once again at the mercy of a temperamental fascist.
Exactly a year ago, the people of Gaza were reportedly boiling weeds and eating animal feed to stave off their hunger. Now, the situation has worsened even further. Warehouses of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) that store aid stand empty, along with most supermarkets and local shops.
If food miraculously exists, it sits as a mere symbol of unattainability for most of the population. This is because food prices have soared for basic goods such as wheat flour — which has experienced a three thousand per cent price spike since February.
As Israel purposefully starves almost 2 million people by refusing to let any food or medical supplies enter the region, it blames Hamas for causing hunger by allegedly stealing aid. But the extended blockade along with threats of escalated violence paint only one picture: Israel is wilfully using starvation as a weapon of war. It is loudly and publicly engaging in a war crime and an open human rights violation — all while international communities and leaders stand by and watch.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Israel strikessouth Beirut
Israel warned on Friday that it would keep striking Lebanon until Hezbollah has been disarmed, hours after hitting south Beirut in what Lebanese leaders called a major violation of a November ceasefire. Thursday's attacks on what the Israeli military said were underground Hezbollah drone factories came after an Israeli evacuation call on the eve of Eidul Azha and sent huge numbers of residents of Beirut's southern suburbs fleeing. It was the fourth and heaviest Israeli bombardment of the heavily populated area, known as a bastion of support for Hezbollah, in the six months since a ceasefire deal aimed at ending hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. The last attack was in late April.
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
US can force India into 'dialogue with Pakistan'
Listen to article Head of a high-level parliamentary delegation Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday said US President Donald Trump should encourage India to engage in a "comprehensive dialogue" with Pakistan. The delegation is visiting Washington DC to present Islamabad's position following a recent military standoff with New Delhi. Weeks after their worst military confrontation in decades, India and Pakistan have dispatched top lawmakers to press their cases in the United States, where President Donald Trump has shown eagerness for diplomacy between them. After crisscrossing the world, the delegations descended this week at the same time on Washington, which played a key mediatory role in a ceasefire after four days of fighting between the nuclear-armed adversaries in May. In strikingly similar strategies, the rival delegations are both led by veteran politicians who have been critical of their countries' governments and are known for their ease in speaking to Western audiences. Pakistan has embraced an active role for the Trump administration while India, which has close relations with Washington, has been more circumspect and has long refused outside mediation on the Kashmir dispute. "Just like the United States and President Trump played a role in encouraging us to achieve this ceasefire, I believe they should play their part in encouraging both sides to engage in a comprehensive dialogue," said former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, whose Pakistan People's Party says it belongs neither to the governing coalition nor opposition. "I don't quite understand the Indian government's hesitance," Bilawal told AFP. "I'm the first to criticise the United States for so many reasons, but where they do the right thing, where they do the difficult task of actually achieving a ceasefire, they deserve appreciation." Bilawal, recalling how his mother, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was killed in a terror attack, said Pakistan was ready to discuss terrorism with India but that Kashmir as a "root cause" also needed to be on the table. He said that India was establishing a dangerous new precedent in South Asia where whenever there is a terrorist attack in any country, "you go straight to war". "I think that the fate of 1.7 billion people and our two great nations should not left in the hands of these nameless, faceless, non-state actors and this new normal that India is trying to impose on the region," he said. The two delegations have no plans to meet in Washington. NEW NORMAL Trump has repeatedly credited his administration with averting nuclear war and said the United States had negotiated an agreement to hold talks between the two sides at a neutral site, an assertion that met India's silence. India's delegation is led by one of its most prominent opposition politicians, Shashi Tharoor, a former senior UN official and writer. He said he was putting the national interest first, despite disagreements domestically with Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tharoor said he heard "total support and solidarity for India" during his meetings with US lawmakers and a "complete understanding of India's right to defend itself against terrorism." Tharoor also noted that former Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto Zardari's father, had advocated peace with India but was in power during the siege of Mumbai on November 26, 2008. "If they can't control what they're doing to us, why bother to talk to them?" said Tharoor, who pointed to the outsized role of the military in Pakistan. A high-level Pakistani parliamentary delegation, led by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari met with US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, the Pakistan Embassy in Washington said in Tweet on Friday. During the meeting, Bilawal appreciated the role played by President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in facilitating the Pakistan-India ceasefire expressed the hope that it would create space for sustainable peace and stability in South Asia through dialogue. "Pakistan delegation held a productive meeting with Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker," the embassy said on X. "The delegation shared its concern over India's unprovoked aggression, continued hostile rhetoric, and unlawful suspension of IWT [Indus Water Treaty]," it added. (With additional input from News Desk)
Business Recorder
5 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Pakistan condemns Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon
ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan unequivocally condemned air strikes by Israeli forces on Beirut's southern suburbs and parts of southern Lebanon on 5 June 2025, Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement. These attacks, launched on the eve of Eid al-Adha, constitute a blatant violation of international law, sovereignty of Lebanon, and the ceasefire agreement of November 2024. The spokesperson added the reckless use of force threatens civilian lives, fuels regional instability, and undermines efforts for lasting peace. Pakistan stands in solidarity with the people and the Government of Lebanon, during this difficult time. We urge the international community, particularly the United Nations and ceasefire mediators, to take immediate action to hold Israeli occupying forces accountable and prevent further escalation, he remarked. Pakistan remains firmly committed to peace, justice, and the principles of international law. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
