Haaretz: Starving Gaza has become a declared policy that Israel boasts about

The Israeli Haaretz newspaper on Friday condemned the starvation imposed by Israel on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, noting that it has become a declared policy and a source of pride for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

In an editorial titled “Israel Must Stop Starving Gaza,” the newspaper said, “This policy is based on a false populist narrative that links humanitarian aid to Gaza’s residents to Hamas’s military capabilities”.

Haaretz continued, condemning the measure, saying, “the result is an ongoing crime against humanity”.

Haaretz continued, “under the auspices of Israel’s nightmarish government and the Trump administration, Israel’s starvation of more than two million Palestinians has become completely normal”.

The Israeli newspaper noted that for more than six weeks, no shipments of food, medicine, tents, or any other form of aid have entered the Strip.

Haaretz added, “It’s not Hamas members who are paying the price, but hundreds of thousands of children, mothers, the elderly, and the poor”.

“According to a survey conducted by humanitarian agencies in Gaza, 3,696 children were hospitalized in March alone due to severe malnutrition,” Haaretz said.

“The United Nations World Food Program was forced to close all the bakeries it operated across the Strip, and most residents now rely on one daily meal provided by UN kitchens,” Haaretz reported.

Haaretz continued, “most Gaza residents cannot access fresh food, including meat, dairy products, eggs, vegetables, and fruits”.

The acute hunger crisis is exacerbated by the lack of clean water, the proliferation of tent dwellings, the collapse of sewage and waste collection networks, the destruction of the healthcare system, and other factors, noting, “all of these are cumulative risk factors”.

Regarding the medical situation, Haaretz stated, that according to doctors in Gaza, most residents suffer from a severe deficiency in calories, proteins, and vitamins.

Israeli nutritionists also describe the situation as causing irreversible damage to children’s brain development and a decrease in the production and quality of breast milk.

Haaretz also noted that international mortality experts have warned of the potential for widespread disease outbreaks in Gaza, and earlier this week, the United Nations described the humanitarian situation there as the worst since the beginning of the war.

Haaretz said, “The suffering and death caused by Israel’s starvation policy in Gaza don’t achieve any of the war’s objectives… The deaths of children from malnutrition and disease won’t lead to the release of the hostages or the fall of Hamas”.

Haaretz concluded by addressing Netanyahu’s government: “Israel must resume the flow of aid to the Gaza Strip immediately, and all countries of the world must pressure Israel in every possible way to compel it to do so”.