Gaza Strip famine

A request that this article title be changed to Starvation of Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war is under discussion. Please do not move this article until the discussion is closed.

The population of the Gaza Strip is facing starvation and famine as a result of Israeli airstrikes during the Israel–Hamas war and an Israeli blockade, including of basic essentials and humanitarian aid.^[5][6][7] Airstrikes have destroyed food infrastructure, such as bakeries, mills, and food stores, and there is a widespread scarcity of essential supplies due to the blockade of aid.^[c] A survey in May 2024 suggested 85% of children under five in Gaza spent entire days without food.^[9] This situation has caused starvation for more than half a million Gazans and is part of a broader humanitarian crisis in the Strip. Describing an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report in March, António Guterres said it was the "highest number of people facing catastrophic hunger" recorded on the IPC scale since its inception in 2004.^[10][11] Leading famine scholar Alex de Waal said in March that we "are about to witness" the most intense man-made famine since the Second World War.^[12][13][14]

In May, the Center for Strategic and International Studies said there is evidence that Gazans, particularly in the northern governates of Gaza, have experienced famine and that global leaders have not yet issued a formal declaration of famine: "Famine declarations convey significant political and emotional weight and the expectation of action from the international community” and "leaders may be waiting for a future IPC assessment, presumably concluding that famine conditions have been in place for a while, before making an official declaration of famine."^[15] The IPC does not issue formal declarations of famine, and its criteria for studying famine was designed to address weather-related crises rather than famines caused by conflict. Formal declarations of famine typically come from a nation's government and their top UN official, meaning it is unclear who has the authority to declare a famine in Gaza.^[16] On 4 June, an updated Famine Review Committee (FRC) report for the IPC from May 2024 regarding April 2024 and projection through July 2024 said that it was unknown whether famine thresholds had been passed in April. It found that it could not endorse a Phase 5 (Famine) classification under the Famine Early Warning system, principally due to "the lack of essential up to date data on human well-being in Northern Gaza, and Gaza at large."^[17] On 30 June 2024, the IPC Global Famine Review Committee released a report that said it could not find evidence of famine in Gaza during its report period based on its surveys of households. It said that conditions in Gaza had slightly improved during this period, due to increased aid and sanitation efforts, but warned that civilians still faced extreme suffering, high famine risk, and needed sustainable aid, saying that the report's findings "should not allow room for complacency about the risk of Famine in the coming weeks and months," and that "The prolonged nature of the crisis means that this risk remains at least as high as at any time during the past few months."^[18]

In March 2024, Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, stated that Israel's restrictions on the entry of aid may constitute starvation as a weapon of war, which would be a war crime.^[19][20] An Independent International Commission of Inquiry also found Israel was using starvation as a method of war.^[21] The Israeli government has denied it is using starvation as a weapon of war and said that arguments that its actions regarding the famine violate the Genocide Convention are "wholly unfounded".^[22] COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for allowing aid into Gaza, has stated Israel was not putting limits into the amount of aid entering Gaza.^[23] COGAT's claim has been challenged by multiple entities, including the European Union, United Nations, Oxfam, and United Kingdom.^[24] Israel has accused Gaza's government of "aid theft";^[25] however, US officials said they do not have evidence to support Israel's claims.^[26][27] Israel has challenged the IPC's past methodology, citing academics in the Israeli public health sector.^[28]

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).