The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has accused Israel of escalating recently the war of starvation it is waging against the civilians in the beleaguered Gaza Strip with the aim of exacerbating their already dire living conditions which has reached catastrophic levels.
“The Israeli war of starvation has taken extremely dangerous turns including the cutting off of all food supplies and the bombing and destruction of bakeries factories food stores and water stations and tanks” the Euro-Med Monitor said in a statement on Sunday.
“In recent hours Israel has deliberately focused its attacks on targeting electric generators and solar energy panels which commercial facilities restaurants and civilian institutions depend on to maintain the minimum possible levels of their activities.”
Euro-Med warned that “Israel’s attacks destroyed the agricultural area in the east of Gaza flour stores and fishermen’s boats as well as supply centers belonging to relief organizations especially the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) — the largest source of humanitarian aid in the Strip.”
Euro-Med also warned that “an explosion of child deaths is imminent in Gaza if the world does not act quickly as Gaza recorded during the past two days an appalling increase in the number of children with acute malnutrition who need to receive medical care.”
“It is believed that malnutrition led 70 percent of the children in the Gaza Strip to suffer from anemia and weak immunity before the current Israeli war started but the Euro-Med Monitor estimates that the aforementioned number has risen to more than 90 percent due to the unprecedented Israeli practices.”
Euro-Med highlighted that “children especially newborns and women in Gaza have disproportionately taken the brunt of Israel’s war as 52500 infants in Gaza are currently facing the risk of death hunger dehydration and the dangers of overcrowding at a time when there are about 55000 pregnant women in Gaza with 5500 births expected this month.”
“Israel’s attacks the shutdown of damaged or non-functioning health facilities the massive levels of displacement and the collapse of food water and electricity supplies severely threaten mothers and newborn babies.”
“The risks of malnutrition were extremely high among pregnant women which had a major impact on children’s survival and development but as access to food and water has worsened mothers are now struggling to feed and care for their families — which has increased the risks of malnutrition illness and death.”
In a related context Euro-Med highlighted that “only about two percent of aid and food supplies have so far been allowed by Israel to enter the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing with Egypt while it ignores calls from international organizations for the need to allow in food water fuel and other necessities without restrictions.”
“Although a limited amount of food aid was allowed in no commercial food imports have been delivered which has left the Gaza Strip’s population of approximately 2.3 million people in dire need of food.”
Euro-Med pointed out that “the limited food supplies entering from Egypt are distributed primarily to displaced people and host families in the southern Gaza Strip with only flour provided for bakeries while Gaza City and its north are deprived of receiving any food supplies.”
“The World Food Program estimates that current stocks of basic food commodities will be sufficient for a maximum of four days before they run out completely.”
“Obtaining bread in the Gaza Strip has become an existential challenge as the only mill operating in Gaza is still unable to grind wheat due to the lack of electricity and fuel” Euro-Med said adding that “11 bakeries have been bombed and destroyed since October 7 while those still operating face severe challenges because they cannot meet their needs such as flour and fuel.”
“Only one bakery which has a contract with the World Food Program provides bread intermittently to shelters depending on the availability of flour and fuel while the residents who have to stand in lines for long hours outside bakeries are vulnerable to Israeli airstrikes as they try to obtain a few loaves of bread.”
Euro-Med warned that “the distribution of food aid to the displaced in northern Gaza has stopped almost completely over the past few days after the Israeli army intensified its ground operations — a situation that threatens widespread famine whose price will be paid by children in particular.”
“Besides access to basic foodstuffs such as flour oil and sugar in some of the stores that have not been destroyed is considered a huge challenge due to the fuel crisis damaged roads and risks resulting from airstrikes” Euro-Med said.
