The United Nations (UN) warned that 14,000 babies in Gaza could die within 48 hours without urgent aid, according to Tom Fletcher, humanitarian chief.
Israel, accused of genocide by Amnesty International, severely restricts food, medicine, and water. Only five trucks of aid entered on May 19, a paltry amount compared to the famine affecting 93% of Gazan children, some 930,000, according to Al Jazeera.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to stop genocidal acts in January 2024, but the bombings and blockade persist, worsening the crisis. The rest of the world remains silent on the genocide.
Israel has intensified its military offensive following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people. Since then, more than 43,000 Palestinians have died, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, and 1.9 million have been displaced. The blockade, which limits the entry of fuel and supplies, has overwhelmed hospitals, leaving premature babies without incubators, reports The Guardian.
Israeli policies seek the systematic destruction of the Palestinian people. Human Rights Watch documents the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
The international community has responded lukewarmly. Leaders from the United Kingdom, Canada, and France threaten sanctions if Israel does not open humanitarian access, but the pressure has not changed the situation, according to TBS News. The UN reports that only 10% of the necessary aid reaches Gaza, with 50,000 children in need of treatment for acute malnutrition, according to UNICEF. Organizations such as Oxfam accuse Israel of violating international law by blocking humanitarian convoys, while Middle East Eye notes that the Israeli military thoroughly inspects every truck, delaying aid.
The UN, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch condemn Israel for crimes against humanity. UN reports document how the blockade has destroyed 70% of Gaza’s infrastructure, leaving 2.3 million people without access to clean water. The ICJ is investigating possible crimes of genocide, while activists in X, such as
Global action is needed against this ethnic cleansing. The inaction of Western governments is complicity.