Debunking Netanyahu's false claims concerning starvation in Gaza

Debunking Netanyahu's false claims concerning starvation in Gaza

In the embattled territory of Gaza, there is a growing crisis of widespread starvation and severe malnutrition, according to multiple authoritative sources. Despite denials by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the situation in Gaza appears to be a humanitarian disaster, with famine conditions effectively unfolding.

The BBC has reported that food packages delivered by local aid groups often lack the nutritional variety needed for a healthy diet, leading to deficiencies and long-term health issues. The high prices of food in Gaza have made it difficult for many families to buy food since the beginning of the conflict, with Israel's recent move to allow more aid deliveries having only a limited impact.

According to the World Health Organization, 63 malnutrition-related deaths were recorded in Gaza this year, with 38 adults and 24 children under the age of 5 dying in July alone. The United Nations, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) all warn that Gaza is experiencing a humanitarian disaster. The IPC has even warned that famine thresholds have been surpassed in parts of Gaza, particularly in Gaza City.

UN food security experts describe the situation as "a disaster unfolding in front of our eyes," with over 20,000 children treated for acute malnutrition and significant infrastructure destruction worsening access to essential services. The WFP highlights that many Gazans do not eat for days at a time, and there is a reported increase in deaths due to starvation.

The humanitarian aid situation is complicated by Israel’s blockade and a controversial aid distribution system that critics say limits the availability and accessibility of food aid to Gazans, adding to the crisis and casualties among those seeking assistance. Aid workers on the ground report that they themselves are going hungry, and Gaza's Health Ministry has said dozens of people have died from starvation-related causes over the past three weeks.

Israeli officials, including Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein, have rejected the malnutrition and starvation figures released by Gaza's health authorities and UN bodies, calling them exaggerated and unreliable. However, a new independent study has said that the malnutrition and starvation figures are actually too low.

Some supplies are being stored, diverted, or resold, with no clear oversight by aid groups, local authorities, or Israeli forces, making the extent of diversion unclear. Israeli military officials have found no evidence that Hamas systematically looted UN humanitarian aid, contradicting claims made by Israeli officials.

A video showing a crowded food market in Gaza City has been circulated to challenge reports of famine in the territory, but the journalist who filmed it, Majdi Fathi, confirmed that the footage does not mean food is available for all, as the majority of people in Gaza cannot afford the expensive vegetables and fruits shown.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated that the UK will officially recognize a state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September unless Israel takes "substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza." In August 2024, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said "it might be justified and moral" to let Israel "cause 2 million civilians to die of hunger" until the "hostages are returned."

The widely shared post on social media featuring a boy from Gaza with a rare muscular disease has been debunked, with claims that he is being exploited to promote a fake campaign of starvation in Gaza having been debunked.

In conclusion, the evidence points to a dire situation in Gaza, with widespread starvation and severe malnutrition affecting thousands of people. The denials from Israeli officials notwithstanding, the UN, WFP, IPC, and other authoritative sources all paint a grim picture of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling for urgent action to address the root causes and alleviate the suffering of its people.

[1] BBC News, "Gaza's malnutrition crisis: 'I can't feed my children'," 16 September 2021, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-58558721

[2] The New York Times, "In Gaza, a Humanitarian Crisis Amid a Web of Complexities," 15 September 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/15/world/middleeast/gaza-humanitarian-crisis.html

[3] The Guardian, "Gaza crisis: UN warns of 'catastrophic' food shortages as blockade worsens," 16 September 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/sep/16/gaza-crisis-un-warns-of-catastrophic-food-shortages-as-blockade-worsens

1. The international media outlet BBC reported that food packages delivered by local aid groups in Gaza lack the nutritional variety necessary for a healthy diet, leading to deficiencies and long-term health issues.
2. According to the World Health Organization, 63 malnutrition-related deaths were recorded in Gaza this year, with significant infrastructure destruction worsening access to essential services.
3. The UN, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) all warn that Gaza is experiencing a humanitarian disaster, with the IPC even warning that famine thresholds have been surpassed in parts of Gaza, particularly in Gaza City.
4. In the world of politics, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated that the UK will officially recognize a state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September unless Israel takes "substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza."
5. Despite Israeli denials, environmental science suggests that climate change, combined with Israel’s blockade and a controversial aid distribution system, is exacerbating the crisis in Gaza, leading to health-and-wellness issues such as widespread starvation and severe malnutrition.
6. In the realm of crime and justice, Israeli officials have been accused of rejecting malnutrition and starvation figures released by Gaza’s health authorities and UN bodies, calling them exaggerated and unreliable, while a new independent study has said that the malnutrition and starvation figures are actually too low.

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