On March 2, Israel completely closed Gaza’s border crossings, preventing any food or lifesaving supplies from entering. More than four months later starvation and famine have spread throughout Gaza. People fainting and passing out on the street due to lack of food has become common. Most Palestinians in Gaza survive on one “meal” of canned food a day. Finding vegetables and fruits is a luxury – if they are available at all the prices are extremely high.
When I speak to people in Gaza, the stories I hear are heartbreaking. “The hardest I’ve seen since the famine began in Gaza was of two little girls, maybe five years old, each holding a small bag, searching for anything to eat through garbage,” said Samah Zaqout, speaking to me from Gaza. “I was in a car, and I couldn’t get out. Even if I had, how much could I really help? I have nothing to offer, literally there is no food to offer in Gaza. My family is surviving day by day on canned food. That day my family was cooking rice, trying to save what little flour we have for the day after. Even though I’m also caught in this loop of survival, I realized I’m luckier than many, including these two girls and many who succumbed to famine.”
Most of my family is still in Gaza. They tell me that they regularly receive requests for flour from friends and neighbors. They have always helped other families in the past, but this time, they don’t have the luxury of doing so. The flour they give away will not come back, and it cannot be replaced. A 25-kilogram sack of flour (about 55 pounds) costs around $700 in Gaza today. Prices are beyond imagination, and almost no one can afford them.
The world watches as Gaza starves
Gaza is starving while the world watches. No one has done enough to force Israel to allow critical humanitarian supplies in. Israeli officials such as Itamar Ben-Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, and Miki Zohar have publicly supported the idea of starving Gaza, claiming it will push Hamas to surrender. This is a clear violation of the Geneva Conventions, which are intended to protect civilians from the effects of war and prevent the use of food as a weapon.
In Gaza, Palestinians seem to be an exception to the rules of international law. Some European capitals have called on Israel not to use starvation as a weapon of war. But words without action do nothing to satiate the hunger of Palestinians in Gaza. Under threat of sanctions, Israel reached an agreement with the EU to allow hundreds of aid trucks into Gaza; two weeks later this appears to be another false promise.
Even when food is available, accessing it can be deadly.
On May 7, an Israeli airstrike targeted a local market and two popular restaurants, the Thailandi and Palmera, in Gaza City, killing 25 Palestinians. Photos emerged of injured Palestinians sitting around tables to eat. Another photo showed blood and broken glasses that appeared to be from a young woman who lost her life in the airstrike; blood-soaked slices of pizza were left on the table.
Death travels too fast in Gaza
On April 28, another Israeli airstrike hit a crowded café at the entrance of the Al-Nuseirat refugee camp, killing and injuring a dozen people. The scene was repeated: Palestinians sitting around a table amid debris, blood, and food and drink leftovers.
On July 1, Israel targeted the popular Baqa cafe in Gaza city, killing 37 Palestinians. Ten days later, the Israeli war machine killed 15 more Palestinians who lined up to get food supplements. Many of the victims in these attacks are children.
Death travels too fast in Gaza, and anyone can be a target, even people trying to get water. On July 13, Israel targeted a group of Palestinians who gathered to get water, killing 13 people, mostly children. The Israeli army said the airstrike was “a mistake” and the missile missed its target.
Israel has also recently targeted food distribution centers, rendering them unable to function. In Gaza City, an Israeli airstrike hit a food distribution center, and the next day, people tried to steal its contents. Is dying of hunger the only option for Palestinians? They have already exhausted all their energy against Israel’s relentless war machine.
A loaf of bread is a dream
The world cannot wait any longer to send humanitarian supplies to Gaza and stop the mass murder. There is no safe place in Gaza, and Palestinians should have better options than dying of starvation or being killed by warplanes.
Over two months ago, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the World Food Program (WFP) announced that their stockpiles of aid had depleted. UNRWA accused Israel of deliberately starving people in Gaza. It was clear that Israel’s policy of closing crossings and preventing the delivery of humanitarian supplies to Gaza would lead to this outcome. Yet little has been done by influential countries to end this policy. The number of malnourished children and adults has doubled in recent weeks, further signaling a looming catastrophe.
We are not even talking about meat, vegetables, fruits and clean water supplies. The dream of people in Gaza is to get a loaf of bread. As shocking as it sounds, the urgency of situation in Gaza means that our demands for a ceasefire and for allowing humanitarian supplies should be on the same level.
Ending the Gaza genocide is a moral ask
Throughout history, Gaza has been known for its rich cuisine; its chili-rich food and stereotypes about its people loving pepper speak to this long history. Now, Gaza is starving. The question is, what will we do now? Every hour that passes in Gaza means death by starvation, bombardment, or both for Palestinians. Allowing humanitarian aid, imposing sanctions on Israel and ending the genocide in Gaza is the call of our time.
Ending the genocide and starvation in Gaza is a moral ask. If governments around the world fail to do so, people should increase the pressure to send a message to the people of Gaza that they are not alone. World leaders need to stop facilitating Israel’s genocide. And the U.S. can do what other countries can’t. The U.S. government must pressure Israel to open borders and end the starvation of the Palestinian people, because people in Gaza simply can’t wait any longer.
