Humanitarian aid Photo: Abaca Press
Some officials in the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have privately concluded that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip face a massive hunger strike if humanitarian aid is not resumed within a few weeks. The New York Times reports this, citing three Israeli military officials with knowledge of the situation.
According to the newspaper’s sources, officers monitoring humanitarian conditions in Gaza have warned the command that many areas will soon be without enough food to meet minimum daily nutritional requirements.
“The situation is so critical that immediate steps are needed to restore the aid delivery system as soon as possible – otherwise, starvation will ensue,” the NYT quoted the military as saying.
Internal discrepancies between Israel’s official position and army assessments
According to the publication, the military leadership has recognised the seriousness of the humanitarian crisis and is looking for ways to restore supplies while bypassing Hamas control. In this way, the NYT demonstrates the profound difference between Israel’s public statements about the blockade and what is actually being discussed within the security forces.
“This confirms that part of the Israeli security elite has come to the same conclusions as leading humanitarian organisations that have been sounding the alarm for a long time,” the newspaper notes.
The situation is getting worse every day
The NYT writes that most bakeries in Gaza have ceased operations, charity kitchens are closing, and the UN World Food Programme reports that it has completely exhausted its food supplies. According to the UN-supported Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (FSPI), famine in the Gaza Strip is “imminent”.
The Israeli Ministry of Defence and the IDF refused to comment on these statements. At the same time, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein confirmed that the ministry is in constant contact with all relevant structures and is closely monitoring the situation.
