Gaza’s government issued a dire warning, Friday, that Palestinians in the besieged enclave are “on the brink of mass death” from widespread famine due to Israel’s nearly two-month aid blockade and the total collapse of essential services, Anadolu Agency reports.
In a statement, the Government Media Office held Israel and its backers responsible for a “genocide documented in sound and image”.
We warn of the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza as the complete Israeli siege and closure of crossings enters its 55th day, leading to the spread of famine and endangering the lives of over 2.4 million people
the office said.
The office added that famine in Gaza is now “a grim reality, not a threat”, with 52 recorded deaths due to hunger and malnutrition including 50 children, describing the situation as “one of the most horrifying forms of slow, deliberate killing.”
It added that more than 60,000 children suffer from acute malnutrition, while over a million children are facing daily hunger, leading to visible wasting and frailty.
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Calling it “a final call before the catastrophe”, the office stressed that any delay in response would amount to “clear complicity and active participation in the crime, a stain on the conscience of humanity and history.”
It demanded the urgent and unconditional opening of a safe humanitarian corridor “to save the lives of over 2.4 million Palestinians in Gaza before it’s too late.”
The office also called for independent international investigation of “the crime of starvation and slow killing committed by the Israeli Occupation.”
On 2 March, Israel shut all three Gaza Crossings to humanitarian aid and fuel, resuming its onslaught. The blockade has plunged Gaza’s 2.4 million residents, already dependent on aid after nearly 19 months of war, into extreme poverty, according to World Bank data.
Nearly 51,400 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
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