Palestine Envoy Accuses Israel Of Using Starvation As Weapon Of War In Gaza

Abdullah Shawesh, Palestine’s Ambassador to Nigeria, has claimed that Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war in the ongoing siege of Gaza, insisting that the Israeli force is openly provoking famine in the troubled Palestinian city.

Shawesh in his weekly briefing of the ongoing siege on Gaza by Israeli force at the weekend in Abuja, said this war strategy by Israel is unacceptable and must be sanctioned.

He stated that it has been reported that 100% of the Gaza population is experiencing severe acute food insecurity, the first time an entire population has been classified as such.

He drew the attention of the world to the words of UN Secretary General António Guterres, who said that: “Palestinians in Gaza are enduring horrifying levels of hunger and suffering … This is the highest number of people facing catastrophic hunger ever recorded …anywhere, anytime”

Shawesh also recalled the words of the UN human rights chief Volker Türk, saying that “hunger, starvation, and famine” were the result of Israel’s “extensive restrictions on the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid and commercial goods.”

He noted that as of last Wednesday, March 20, the death toll from Israel’s siege of Gaza had risen to 31,819 Palestinian martyrs, with 73,934 injured and nearly 8,500 missing. There are 700,000 internally displaced persons taking refuge in only 20% of the Gaza Strip. In the Occupied West Bank, there have been 436 martyrs and more than 4,670 injured.

He decried that the Israeli war took many forms, one of which is preventing the entry of necessary medical supplies, especially for chronic diseases, noting that the health condition of 1000 to 1500 kidney failure patients in the Gaza Strip is rapidly worsening due to the lack of medical services, medication, and other necessities.

He raided the alarm that Palestinian unemployment rate is set to soar to 57% during first quarter of 2024, adding that:
“Another life-threatening issue for Gazans today is the presence of remaining explosive materials hidden under the rubble, on the streets, and everywhere else. Mine action partners are currently conducting assessments of the explosive threat and educating Gazans on how to avoid it.”

He said according to OCHA “Larger-scale assessments are urgently required, but response efforts have been hampered by restrictions on the import of humanitarian mine action supplies and authorization requirements for the deployment of specialized personnel.”

According to Shawesh, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated at a humanitarian aid conference in Brussels that Gaza is experiencing famine, affecting thousands of people.”This is unacceptable. Starvation is used as a weapon of war. Israel is provoking famine.”

He added that: “Malnutrition is a devastating threat to lives across Gaza, as evidenced by the UN published report on March 15, 2024. Where “one in three children under two in the Northern Gaza Strip suffer from acute malnutrition.

“Malnutrition among the children is spreading fast and reaching devastating and unprecedented levels…… at least 23 children in Northern Gaza Strip have reportedly died from malnutrition and dehydration in recent weeks, adding to a mounting toll of children killed in the strip in this current conflict- about 13450.

“In February, UNICEF and partners conducted a nutrition screening in the north and discovered that 4.5% of the children in shelters and health centres have severe wasting, which is the most life-threatening form of malnutrition.”