Israel has strongly condemned a joint statement by over 100 international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) warning of a severe hunger crisis in Gaza, claiming they are serving Hamas's propaganda. This comes amidst escalating international concerns over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, highlighting the deepening conflict between Israel and international organizations regarding access to and distribution of humanitarian aid.
On Wednesday, July 23, 111 NGOs, including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Save the Children, and Oxfam, issued a joint statement warning that "hunger is consuming Gaza, and 2.1 million residents are starving." They asserted that the Israeli government's blockade is starving the people of Gaza, and even humanitarian workers are "slowly dying." They also criticized the reality of "humanitarian workers having to stand in food distribution lines, risking Israeli military gunfire, just to feed their families," and urged immediate ceasefire negotiations, border openings, and the free flow of humanitarian aid.
However, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs vehemently denied these claims, counter-arguing that "these organizations are using their numbers to serve Hamas's propaganda, justifying Hamas's atrocities." The Ministry's statement added, "We urge all organizations to stop using Hamas's claims."
The Israeli Foreign Ministry also claimed that approximately 4,500 trucks have entered Gaza, and over 700 trucks are still waiting at the border for distribution due to "bottlenecks" by the United Nations (UN). This reflects Israel's stance that the cause of food shortages in Gaza is not its blockade but rather the UN's inefficient distribution system.
Nevertheless, the international community and several humanitarian organizations point out that Israel controls the entry points for large-scale food shipments into Gaza and permits food distribution only in an extremely restricted manner. Israel justifies these restrictions by claiming Hamas could divert aid supplies, but this is cited as a major cause of the deepening humanitarian crisis. In the past, UN trucks have faced difficulties in distributing aid due to arbitrary Israeli inspections and challenges in securing safe routes even within security zones.
In recent weeks, there has been a continuous stream of photos of children showing signs of malnutrition and testimonies from doctors in Gaza. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, at least 46 children have died from hunger and malnutrition since early July alone, and over 100 such deaths have occurred since October 2023. These tragic statistics indicate that the humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached a critical point.
Amidst this situation, Hamas is calling for worldwide protests against the Gaza hunger crisis, while the Israeli military has released previously unseen footage of Hamas operatives eating fruits, bread, and hummus in tunnels, countering Hamas's propaganda claims. However, despite these conflicting claims, the suffering of Gaza residents is intensifying, and there are growing calls for active international intervention and increased access to humanitarian aid.
Criticism is also being raised that the hunger issue in Gaza constitutes a war crime, going beyond mere food shortages. Concerns are growing that the political instrumentalization of humanitarian aid and the deepening conflict could lead to serious violations of international law and humanitarian principles. The UN and the international community should pressure both Israel and Hamas to immediately expand humanitarian aid and take concrete measures to protect civilians.
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