Death by Starvation: The Other Face of Israel's War on Gaza
DaysofPal – In a scene that epitomizes the harshest forms of genocide, over two million people in the Gaza Strip are enduring a deepening catastrophe marked by hunger. Having fled relentless bombardment, they now find themselves trapped under a suffocating blockade, as the Israeli occupation seals border crossings and denies the entry of humanitarian and food aid.
Since 2 March 2024, the Israeli occupation has severed Gaza's lifeline—tightening its grip, blocking supplies, and intensifying the siege. Bread has become a distant dream; meals have turned into fading hopes buried in empty stomachs—especially in overcrowded displacement camps, where families who fled bombs now face starvation.
A Missing Loaf and Withering Bodies
Kareem Hamdan, who fled from Tel al-Zaatar to western Gaza with his family, recounts:
'We fled the bombs only to face starvation. We're not living—we're merely waiting to die. There's no food, no water, no medicine—just fear, hunger, and cold.'
In a makeshift shelter at a school in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, 73-year-old Umm Al-Saeed holds her hungry grandson:
'I've been displaced four times, but this is the hardest. My grandson begs for bread, but I have nothing to give him. We survive on bits of rice from charity kitchens. I've lived through many wars, but never one as cruel as this.'
A Deepening Humanitarian Catastrophe
The numbers are staggering. The UN states that Gaza needs at least 500 aid trucks daily. Yet in recent weeks, only 87 trucks have entered, allocated primarily to a few organizations. As food and medicine vanish, malnutrition is spreading fast. With the healthcare system collapsed, children and the elderly—many of whom are dying quietly from hunger and cold—are bearing the brunt.
Starvation as a Weapon of Genocide
Mousa Al-Abdallat, a member of the international organization One Justice, described Israel's starvation policy as 'an act of genocide':
'This deliberate starvation constitutes a war crime under Article 8 of the Rome Statute. The Israeli occupation is not just bombing people; it's using hunger as a weapon to force Palestinians to surrender, flee, or die.'
He added that hundreds of deaths and miscarriages have been documented, illustrating that what's happening in Gaza is not merely a siege—but a systematic plan of extermination.
A Cry Unheard
Amid international silence and Arab inaction, Gaza's tragedy deepens. The cries of the hungry echo across the globe, yet no one responds. With each passing day, the circle of death widens while hope narrows—while Israel boasts of its policy of starvation and destruction, indifferent to the pleas of the victims or the rules of humanity.
This is death by starvation—
the ugliest face of a war still writing its chapters in blood and fire, leaving behind a people searching for bread and dignity in a world where silence has become a partner in the crime.
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