Gaza Government Warns of Worsening Famine – World news

Dr. Ismail Al-Thawabta, head of Gaza’s Government Information Office, said the humanitarian situation in the territory is deteriorating daily.

He noted that although the UN officially declared famine in Gaza City two weeks ago, no meaningful action has been taken to end the catastrophe.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Al-Thawabta said the international community has only issued statements and symbolic gestures, with no real pressure on the occupiers to lift the blockade, open crossings, and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.

He stressed that famine now covers all of Gaza, not just Gaza City, as Israel escalates its campaign of starvation and displacement.

Al-Thawabta said Israel is imposing severe restrictions on aid, permitting only 14% of the population’s needs to enter.

He described the situation as catastrophic, with hundreds of thousands facing extreme hunger.

“This is not a temporary crisis but a direct result of the siege and systematic genocide by the occupiers under full American support, destroying markets, infrastructure, and blocking humanitarian aid,” he said.

The official warned that the strategy of “engineering hunger” aims to weaken civilian resilience and force mass displacement.

“This systematic policy of preventing food, obstructing aid, and destroying markets is designed to break the will of Gaza’s people.

Using starvation as a weapon is a gross violation of international law, equivalent to war crimes and genocide.

The international community must act immediately to stop this Zionist crime and hold them accountable,” he added.

He highlighted the impact of Israel’s campaign to drive more than one million Palestinians from Gaza City and the north toward the south.

Such forced displacement, he said, intensifies famine across the enclave by straining already devastated areas lacking food, water, and space for shelter.

Reports from international organizations confirm there is no safe or adequate area in the south for refugees, with overcrowded regions like Al-Mawasi lacking water, sewage systems, and even room for tents.

According to Al-Thawabta, Gaza needs at least 600 aid trucks per day, but over the past 35 days only 3,188 trucks were allowed in out of 21,000 required — just 15% of the population’s basic needs.

Even these limited supplies, he said, face looting and chaos due to Israel’s obstruction of aid agencies.

He added that trucks permitted entry often lack essential food, with Israel banning items such as eggs, meat, fish, dairy, fruits, vegetables, and supplements vital for children, pregnant women, and the sick.

Al-Thawabta said official statistics confirm 361 deaths from hunger and malnutrition, including 130 children.

He accused the UN of shirking its duty, saying its role has been reduced to empty declarations.

“Simply declaring famine without action means complicity in the ongoing Gaza tragedy,” he said.

He demanded the UN implement mechanisms for international prosecution of those blocking aid and manage distribution transparently.

He urged Arab and Islamic nations to intensify political and diplomatic pressure against Israel and to establish air and sea bridges for urgent delivery of food and medicine.