Today’s new famine alert for Gaza shows how Israel has turned starvation into a weapon of war. Palestinians are not just starving; they are being systematically starved.  

For more than 2 months Israel has completely banned all food, medicine and other vital supplies from entering Gaza, and destroyed people’s means of producing their own food.   

Now today’s new report by the UN-backed IPC finds at least half a million people face imminent starvation unless international governments pressure Israel to reopen the crossings and allow aid in. 93% of people in Gaza are now suffering severe hunger and food shortages, the report finds. 

People are already dying from hunger. Doctors report that dozens of people – mostly young children – have starved to death in the past few weeks, and most families are going whole days without eating. People are scavenging through rubbish just to try and find scraps to eat. As food runs out, prices are rising out of reach for most people and some staple foods such as wheat flour have risen by 3000% since the crossings shut.  

We know from experience around the world that formal famine declarations are often only made too late, after many people have already died from hunger and disease.  

This starvation is not inevitable, it is a political choice. Trucks full of food and medicine are blocked from entering Gaza just a few miles away from where children are starving.  

There is no excuse for inaction. Every minute that Israel’s siege remains in place puts more lives at risk. International governments must demand a ceasefire, an end to the siege, and full humanitarian access.  

The newly announced plans to militarise aid distribution in Gaza will not stop famine spreading – they will make it worse and make further deaths inevitable. It is not a plan to provide humanitarian aid; it is a plan to weaponise it. Only an end to Israel’s siege and full reopening of the crossings for humanitarian aid can save lives now.