Rumors are increasingly strong that Tel Aviv sees starvation as an effective weapon to take Gaza. Israel’s reasoned response to similar rumors is that there is no UN staff to inspect the trucks, mostly local staff, all for bureaucratic reasons.
The humanitarian aid structure set up by Tel Aviv provides for the division of aid between UN aid and that sent by “other” donors. Bureaucratic slowness, political tactics and human errors would be delaying distribution, not to mention that much of the aid arriving would be “taken over” by armed men from Hamas and the connected galaxy, without anything reaching those who need it. Images taken from the Arab social sphere show this openly.
However, the international media have raised the alarm: the threat of famine looms over the Palestinian enclave. The United Nations Food Organization has declared the highest level of crisis in the sector, with around 80% of the population living in conditions of humanitarian disaster, water and food shortages. This is stated in the report “Integrated classification of food safety phases”. However, what has been done to restore water distribution in the non-combat area is not taken into consideration: the UN has a very specific political objective, a permanent ceasefire.
This poverty and lack of water and food affects a large part of the population of the Gaza Strip as they receive only food and basic services. The extreme concentration or isolation of people in inadequate shelter is one of the main factors contributing to the risk of famine and epidemics. United Nations experts reached this conclusion, adding that the enclave has high rates of acute malnutrition among children under five and infant mortality.
Regarding the deaths of the estimated 20,000 civilians, the Palestinian Authority appealed to the International Criminal Court ICC: “We believe that all these crimes should not go unpunished. Therefore, Israel must be held to account. In this regard, we have submitted appeals to the International Criminal Court,” explained the Palestinian ambassador to Vienna Salah Abdel Shafi.
The PA diplomat underlined that the request was sent about a month ago. According to him, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, British lawyer Karim Ahmad Khan, has already visited the conflict-ravaged region.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
