Israel continues its starvation policy with impunity in Gaza. If it goes on, it will be a severe blow to the legitimacy of rules based global order.
Going by Gaza’s health ministry report, 55000 people have been killed since the war began in October, 2023.Of these, at least 111-most of them children have died of malnutrition.
Over 40 of these deaths have occurred recently. To make matters worse, aid workers, including doctors are collapsing from hunger while on duty.
More than two million residents of Gaza are on the brink of famine. This catastrophe is neither natural nor inevitable.
It is man-made and entirely preventable. Israeli government is preventing aid from reaching Gazans. In the past month, more than 1000 Palestinians have been killed trying to access food.
Gazans are forced to bring make a choice in between risking death by starvation and taking s chance at being shot trying to feed themselves. Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes are continuing unabated.
Israel’s military objective is defeat Hamas. But most vulnerable to this effort are innocent women and children of Gaza.
Israel is doing much more than violating international law. It is obligated to ensure that aid reaches the Gazan population.
International condemnation is rising against Israel although belatedly. Recently staunch Israeli allies like UK, Australia, Canada and France in a statement said denial of essentials to Gaza residents ud “unacceptable”.
There is likely to be a renewed push for a ceasefire. But the world must do more.
Let geopolitical rivalries over trade and territory will remain in their place. The international community must put pressure to open Gaza’s border crossings and allow aid in
