According to the UN rapporteur, Israel is imposing the most horrific phase of its starvation campaign on Gaza
According to the UN rapporteur, Israel is imposing the most horrific phase of its starvation campaign on Gaza
UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri, stated that the most horrific phase of the starvation campaign is currently taking place in Gaza under Israeli blockade, saying: “Everyone knows this is a genocide, a famine, a war crime.”
Michael Fakhri, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, responded to questions from an AA correspondent regarding the famine taking place in Gaza, which is under heavy Israeli attacks and blockade.
Pointing out that what has been witnessed over the past 19 months clearly indicates Israel's plan, Fakhri said, “Israel’s plan has always been to cause maximum damage, destruction, and death. Their ultimate goal is to fully occupy and annex Gaza. Israel has, more or less, declared this intention from the beginning. The situation keeps getting worse, and we have observed a concrete and sustained escalation of violence by Israel,” he said.
Fakhri emphasized the importance of remembering that Israel had declared its intention to use hunger as a weapon, recalling that this intent was announced on October 9, 2023.
“Israel either rejected humanitarian aid, restricted it, or deliberately attacked humanitarian aid convoys. What has been done recently constitutes the most horrific phase of the starvation campaign,” Fakhri said.
He noted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on March 1 that Israel intended to prevent all food, water, and goods from entering Gaza, and that this situation continued for approximately 80 days.
Fakhri continued: “Israel imposed a full blockade for nearly 80 days, and this directly triggered a famine. What we are witnessing today is the most horrific phase of this, and now we are seeing a trickle of aid. A small number of aid trucks are being allowed into Gaza, but it is not nearly enough to meet people’s needs. The most important thing to remember regarding the hunger is that the figures we currently have will always be underestimates. This is because no international journalists are being allowed in, and a very limited number of humanitarian workers have been permitted entry. Therefore, we know the reality is far worse than we can currently imagine.”
Fakhri reported that Israel’s full blockade caused a sudden increase in malnutrition among children, with an 80% rise recorded just in March, and that by February, the price of wheat flour used to make bread had increased by 3,000%.
“These are just numbers,” Fakhri said. “We must remember that this is the horror of people watching their children die of hunger in their arms. This is a societal trauma that will last for generations — meaning even if the bombs and bullets were to stop today, the number of people who will die from disease and hunger in Gaza will be higher than those killed by bombs and bullets. The impact of the famine and Israel’s starvation campaign will last for generations in terms of both physical and societal trauma.”
Fakhri pointed out that words have been exhausted in describing what is happening in Gaza, and recalled that, as independent human rights experts, they saw this genocide risk from the very beginning of the war and called for its prevention.
“Everyone knows this is a genocide”
Fakhri continued: “We were also the first to identify, name, and recognize Israel’s starvation campaign and the resulting famine. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) acknowledged the risk of genocide. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and one of the charges includes the war crime of starvation. This is the first time this war crime has been brought against anyone. At this point, everyone knows what is happening. Everyone knows this is a genocide, a famine, a crime against humanity, a war crime, and a grave violation of human rights. How else can it be described? It is time to act. The time has come for politicians to stop using nice words and to stop merely saying they stand with the Palestinian people.”
Fakhri emphasized that humanitarian aid convoys must urgently be allowed into Gaza and stated, “To make this happen, either the UN General Assembly must authorize peacekeepers to accompany these convoys, or a call should be made by Palestinian civil society for parliamentarians, diplomats, and politicians to join humanitarian aid convoys and enter Gaza. This is what needs to happen — and it needs to happen now.”