Gaza: Siege and Famine

Translated by Federico Emanuele

The latest chapter of Israel’s military escalation in the Gaza Strip opened with the Netanyahu government’s green light for the occupation of Gaza City. At dawn on August 21, tanks of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) moved to seize the city’s outskirts, preparing the ground for the arrival of 60,000 reservists, expected to be deployed in early September.

Visiting the Haifa naval base, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir mobilized the navy in support of ground forces, while, according to The Times of Israel, warning of risks to the lives of hostages held by Hamas amid intensified operations in Gaza City. “There is an agreement on the table and it must be accepted,” he said, passing the decision to the prime minister. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Gaza City could “become Rafah and Beit Hanoun,” razed at the start of the conflict, unless Israel’s conditions are met — namely, the release of all hostages and the disarmament of Hamas.

In recent days, more than 350,000 protesters flooded the streets of Tel Aviv demanding a ceasefire and continuation of the deal for the repatriation of Israelis trapped in Gaza. Demonstrations reached ministers’ homes, with families of hostages accusing the government of sacrificing their relatives for “political needs.” Despite the unrest, fires, and road blockades across the country, the security cabinet led by Netanyahu on August 26 confirmed the continuation of the Gaza occupation plan

On the Palestinian side, the humanitarian crisis has deepened to the point where famine is now being reported in the Strip. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), after warning in late July of unprecedented food scarcity, recorded additional deaths linked to disease and malnutrition, classifying civilians at the highest risk level on its global food security scale. In a report released on August 22, the UN-backed body warned that famine in Gaza could soon spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by early September.

For the first time, famine conditions have officially been confirmed in the Middle East. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called it “an unprecedented disaster” and “a failure of all humanity.” As the occupying power, Guterres stressed, Israel has “clear obligations” under international law, including ensuring civilians’ access to food, medicine, and essential goods.

According to Amnesty International, the humanitarian system in Gaza has been dismantled by Israeli restrictions. Of 400 distribution sites active during the truce, only four remain, all under Israeli military control. The blockade in place since the summer continues to bar aid and commerce from entering Gaza. Currently, responsibility for all humanitarian operations has been handed to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an NGO backed by the United States and Israel. While presented as a neutral alternative to the United Nations, many media outlets and international officials argue it is actually a tool for Israel to use hunger as a weapon against the Palestinian people.

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese criticized the situation as “absurd,” noting that humanitarian aid in Gaza is being overseen by a state “accused of genocide and war crimes by the world’s highest courts,” with the tolerance of the international community. She concluded that centralizing control of aid in Israel’s hands represents “yet another attack on the very existence of the Palestinian people.”

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