International Crisis Group: Israel’s Gaza Blockade Causes Widespread Starvation

(MENAFN) The International Crisis Group issued a dire warning on Friday, stating that Israel's ongoing blockade of Gaza is pushing the region toward widespread starvation and potentially catastrophic loss of life. The organization called for urgent humanitarian access and a ceasefire to prevent further escalation.

"Israel is starving Gaza," the group declared in a statement, accusing Israeli authorities of enforcing "draconian restrictions on humanitarian aid and commercial deliveries" since March. While Israel justifies these measures as necessary to prevent Hamas from exploiting supplies, the Crisis Group argued that "it is not Hamas that is bearing the brunt of this policy."

The group described the crisis as "predicted," stating: "Israel must end its siege immediately. Every truck matters. Every calorie counts. But opening the gates is only the beginning: only a ceasefire can alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe engulfing Gaza."

The Crisis Group also criticized the newly established Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), calling it ineffective and harmful. "The new ostensibly 'Hamas-free' GHF model leaves Gaza’s weakest and poorest to starve," it said, citing chaotic aid distributions where Israeli forces have opened fire on aid seekers. Since May, this violence has claimed more than 1,000 lives.

The group highlighted alarming health data, noting that in July, UN nutrition screenings of 15,000 Gaza children revealed that over 16% were acutely malnourished, exceeding the UN’s famine threshold.

"The lack of a ceasefire provides no excuse for this starvation policy," the Crisis Group emphasized, adding: "The machinery of death must be stopped, not merely slowed."

Despite growing international pressure for a ceasefire, the Israeli military has continued its airstrikes, resulting in the deaths of more than 59,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children, since October 2023. The bombardment has decimated Gaza’s infrastructure, rendering large parts of the enclave uninhabitable. The Health Ministry in Gaza reported 122 deaths from starvation since the offensive began.

Additionally, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November, charging them with war crimes and crimes against humanity related to their actions in Gaza.

Israel also faces a case at the International Court of Justice for potential genocide in Gaza.

MENAFN26072025000045017169ID1109843486