Amnesty says Israel deliberately starving Gaza's Palestinians
JERUSALEM : Rights group Amnesty International on Monday accused Israel of enacting a 'deliberate policy' of starvation in Gaza, as the UN and aid groups warn of famine in the Palestinian territory.
Israel, while heavily restricting aid allowed into the Gaza Strip, has repeatedly rejected claims of deliberate starvation in the 22-month-old war.
In a report citing testimonies of displaced Palestinians and medical staff who treated malnourished children, Amnesty said that 'Israel is carrying out a deliberate campaign of starvation in the occupied Gaza Strip.'
The group accused Israel of 'systematically destroying the health, well-being and social fabric of Palestinian life'.
'It is the intended outcome of plans and policies that Israel has designed and implemented, over the past 22 months, to deliberately inflict on Palestinians in Gaza conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction – which is part and parcel of Israel's ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza,' Amnesty said.
The report is based on interviews conducted in recent weeks with 19 displaced Gazans sheltering in three makeshift camps as well two medical staff in two hospitals in Gaza City.
Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military and foreign ministry did not immediately comment on Amnesty's findings.
In a report issued last week, the Israeli defence ministry's COGAT, a body overseeing civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, rejected claims of widespread malnutrition in Gaza and disputed figures shared by the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
In April, Amnesty accused Israel of committing a 'live-streamed genocide' against Palestinians by forcibly displacing Gazans and creating a humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged territory, claims that Israel dismissed at the time as 'blatant lies'.
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The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Too weak to save anyone
IN several Gaza hospitals still barely functioning, nurses are fainting from hunger and dehydration. Managers often can't provide meals for patients or staff, doctors are out of formula for newborns – sometimes giving them water – and at least three major hospitals lack nutritional fluids for treating malnourished patients. This is the new front line: hunger. After months of warnings, international agencies and doctors say starvation is now sweeping the territory. Scores of Palestinians have died of hunger in recent months, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Seven doctors – four local, three foreign volunteers from Australia, Britain and the US – working at four hospitals, described how medics are collapsing in wards, revived only by saline and glucose drips. And while trauma cases still flood in, there's now a surge of patients wasted by hunger. 'We're losing malnourished babies because we can't give them what they need – not even safely,' said Dr Ambereen Sleemi, an American volunteer at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza. 'They come in starving and we can't bring them back.' The very fluids needed to slowly feed and stabilise children are missing. Rapid refeeding could kill them. But even the small amounts hospitals can safely give aren't always enough. Dr Nick Maynard, a British surgeon who recently left Nasser Hospital, described seeing a seven-month-old who looked like a newborn. 'Skin and bones doesn't do it justice,' he said. 'This is man-made starvation. It's being used as a weapon of war.' Since late July, Israel began limited aid drops over northern Gaza and paused military activity in certain areas to allow land deliveries. But the new aid distribution model, implemented after a total blockade from March to May, has proven dangerous and ineffective, doctors and rights groups say. Food used to be distributed at hundreds of UN sites close to displaced families. Now, supplies arrive at a few large hubs, managed by Israeli-backed US contractors. Reaching them requires walking kilometres through Israeli-controlled zones. Hundreds of Palestinians have reportedly been killed on those routes. Israel says the change was to prevent Hamas from stealing aid. Yet, military officials have admitted they have no proof the UN systematically lost aid to Hamas. Doctors Without Borders recently reported that one in four children and pregnant women at their clinics were malnourished. The World Food Programme says a third of Gaza's population is going days without food. Starvation is killing babies directly and weakening adults to the point where otherwise survivable injuries become fatal. Miscarriages are rising, and more babies are born underweight and immuno-compromised. Dr Hani al-Faleet, a paediatric consultant at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, put it bluntly: 'The baby doesn't get enough to eat – and neither does the mother.' Even when aid arrives, it's too expensive for many. Hanin Barghouth, 22, can't walk to the new aid points. Her husband never reaches them before supplies run out. Their three-month-old baby girl, Salam, was born after the blockade began. She weighs just 4kg – well underweight. 'I've lost 13kg since the war started,' said Hanin. 'I breastfeed when I can. When I can't, I give her formula – but only if I have it.' A tin of formula now costs about US$120 – more than twice what it sells for outside Gaza. While Salam still receives some care in central Gaza, access is even worse farther north. Two-year-old Yazan Abu al-Foul, skeletal and silent, lives near the beach in Gaza City. His family can't afford food, and hospitals have told them they don't have the resources to admit him. 'There is nothing,' said Dr Mohammad Abu Salmiya, director of Shifa Hospital. 'No supplements, no infant formula, no IV nutrition. These children need the basics to live – and we don't have them.' Even hospital staff are collapsing on duty. 'Some faint in the emergency ward or the OR because they haven't eaten,' Mohammad added. 'The burden is immense.' — ©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Amnesty says Israel deliberately starving Gaza's Palestinians
Palestinians carry sacks of flour taken from a humanitarian aid convoy en route to Gaza City. (AP pic) JERUSALEM : Rights group Amnesty International on Monday accused Israel of enacting a 'deliberate policy' of starvation in Gaza, as the UN and aid groups warn of famine in the Palestinian territory. Israel, while heavily restricting aid allowed into the Gaza Strip, has repeatedly rejected claims of deliberate starvation in the 22-month-old war. In a report citing testimonies of displaced Palestinians and medical staff who treated malnourished children, Amnesty said that 'Israel is carrying out a deliberate campaign of starvation in the occupied Gaza Strip.' The group accused Israel of 'systematically destroying the health, well-being and social fabric of Palestinian life'. 'It is the intended outcome of plans and policies that Israel has designed and implemented, over the past 22 months, to deliberately inflict on Palestinians in Gaza conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction – which is part and parcel of Israel's ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza,' Amnesty said. The report is based on interviews conducted in recent weeks with 19 displaced Gazans sheltering in three makeshift camps as well two medical staff in two hospitals in Gaza City. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military and foreign ministry did not immediately comment on Amnesty's findings. In a report issued last week, the Israeli defence ministry's COGAT, a body overseeing civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, rejected claims of widespread malnutrition in Gaza and disputed figures shared by the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. In April, Amnesty accused Israel of committing a 'live-streamed genocide' against Palestinians by forcibly displacing Gazans and creating a humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged territory, claims that Israel dismissed at the time as 'blatant lies'.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Amnesty accuses Israel of deliberate starvation policy in Gaza
JERUSALEM: Amnesty International has accused Israel of enforcing a deliberate policy of starvation in Gaza as humanitarian organisations warn of famine in the Palestinian territory. The rights group stated Israel is systematically destroying Palestinian health, well-being, and social structures in Gaza. 'It is the intended outcome of plans and policies that Israel has designed and implemented, over the past 22 months, to deliberately inflict on Palestinians in Gaza conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction,' Amnesty said. The report includes testimonies from 19 displaced Gazans in makeshift camps and two medical staff treating malnourished children in Gaza City hospitals. Israel has repeatedly denied allegations of deliberately causing starvation, with its defence ministry rejecting claims of widespread malnutrition in Gaza. Last week, COGAT, the Israeli body overseeing Palestinian civil affairs, disputed malnutrition figures provided by Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. In April, Amnesty accused Israel of committing a 'live-streamed genocide' through forced displacement and humanitarian crisis, allegations Israel dismissed as false. The Israeli military and foreign ministry did not immediately respond to Amnesty's latest findings when contacted by AFP. – AFP
