On Monday, the global hunger monitor stated that mass mortality is inevitable in the Gaza Strip. Without an immediate truce and an influx of food to regions cut off by conflict, the situation will worsen. Extreme food shortages in some parts of the Gaza Strip have already exceeded famine levels.
U.N. agencies depend on the judgments of the Integrated Food-Security Phase Classification (IPC). It indicates that 70% of people in portions of northern Gaza face the most severe level of food shortage. This surpasses the 20% threshold required to classify it as a famine, according to the IPC.
Despite stating that it lacked sufficient data on mortality rates, the IPC predicted that inhabitants would soon be dying at a famine scale. This scale is defined as two out of every 10,000 people per day passing away from starvation, malnutrition, or illness.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, starvation has been the cause of death for 27 children and 3 adults thus far.
“The actions needed to prevent famine require an immediate political decision for a ceasefire together with a significant and immediate increase in humanitarian and commercial access to the entire population of Gaza,” it stated.
Approximately half of Gaza’s population, or 1.1 million people, were suffering from “catastrophic” food shortages. Consequently, 300,000 of them were now in danger of dying from starvation.
Since Israel began fighting Hamas militants after their attack on October 7, Western supporters are most concerned about the potential for a man-made famine in Gaza.
“In Gaza we are no longer on the brink of famine. We are in a state of famine… Starvation is used as a weapon of war. Israel is provoking famine,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said at a Brussels conference on aid for Gaza.
In response, Borrell was told to “stop attacking Israel and recognize our right to self-defense against Hamas’ crimes” by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz.
Katz stated on X that although Israel permitted “massive humanitarian aid into Gaza by land, air, and sea for anyone willing to help,” Hamas militants “violently disturbed” the aid with “collaboration” from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, described the IPC report as an “appalling indictment”. He insisted that Israel grant full and unrestricted access to all areas of Gaza.
Britain’s foreign minister David Cameron said he would carefully review the report: “It’s clear the status quo is unsustainable. We need urgent action now to avoid a famine.”
Israel, initially restricting supplies to enter Gaza through two checkpoints on the southern border of the enclave, claims to be expanding its land channels for aid delivery and permitting air and sea drops as well. Additionally, last week marked the arrival of the first boat delivering relief.
Aid organizations report that they are still unable to securely deliver supplies or get enough of them through, particularly in the north.
HOSPITAL ASSAULT
Overnight, Israeli forces launched a significant attack on Al Shifa hospital located in the ruins of Gaza City. This city is the largest in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Formerly the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip, it is now one of the few healthcare facilities in the northern section of the region that is still partially operational.
More than twenty Hamas fighters were reportedly killed by Israel, including Fayeq al-Mabhouh, a top Hamas commander who was hospitalized. He was a Palestinian police officer entrusted with managing the security of assistance supplies entering Gaza, according to Hamas.
As the war enters its sixth month, negotiations for a truce were set to resume on Monday. The Israeli delegation, led by the nation’s chief spy, traveled to Qatar for the talks. However, an Israeli source stated that concluding any agreement would likely require a minimum of two additional weeks. This delay is a glaring letdown for Washington, which had hoped to reach a consensus before the commencement of the Ramadan holy month last week.
During a phone conversation on Monday, President Joe Biden directly cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the potential consequences of military action in Rafah. He emphasized that such action would only exacerbate the chaos already prevalent in Gaza. According to the White House, they also decided that delegations from both sides would convene in Washington. Additionally, they will deliberate on the matter during these meetings.
Netanyahu has promised to advance into the southernmost enclave of Gaza, Rafah. Moreover, over half of the 2.3 million people living there are seeking refuge in anticipation of an Israeli attack farther north. This underscores the urgent need for humanitarian intervention to protect civilian lives.
Last week, the head of Biden’s Democratic Party in the U.S. Senate urged Israelis to remove Netanyahu from office. He claimed that Israel’s reputation was being damaged by his permitting of excessive suffering in Gaza.
According to Israeli counts, the battle started when Hamas fighters surged into Israel, murdering 1,200 people and taking 253 captives. Palestinian health officials claim that since then, over 31,000 Gazans have died as a result of Israel’s onslaught.
SPECIAL FORCES
According to the Israeli military, special forces carried out a “precise operation” on the Al Shifa Hospital compound. The operation was carried out with the assistance of tanks and troops, following intelligence that the hospital was being utilized by Hamas commanders.
“We apprehended more than 200 terrorist suspects that are now being questioned,” said spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. He added that one Israeli soldier had died in the combat.
For months, residents in northern Gaza reported some of the worst fighting.
Mohammad Ali, 32, a father of two who lives close to the hospital, told Reuters on a chat app. He mentioned that the assault’s noise awakened the neighborhood at approximately one in the morning.
“Soon tanks started to roll, they came from the western road and headed toward Al Shifa, then sounds of gunfire and explosions increased,” he continued.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the raid created a fire inside the hospital that killed displaced people.
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