Rights group Amnesty International has raised serious allegations against Israel, claiming it has initiated a “deliberate policy” of starvation in Gaza amid increasing warnings from the United Nations and various aid organizations about the looming threat of famine in the region. These assertions come as Israel maintains stringent restrictions on the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip while consistently rejecting accusations of intentionally starving the local population during the ongoing 22-month conflict.
In a recent report, Amnesty International highlighted testimonies from displaced Palestinians and medical professionals who have witnessed malnourished children. The organization asserts that Israel is engaging in a methodical campaign to induce starvation in Gaza, stating that it is “systematically destroying the health, well-being, and social fabric of Palestinian life.” The report characterizes these actions as part of a larger strategy designed to impose conditions that could lead to the physical destruction of the Palestinian population.
According to Amnesty, the policies implemented by Israel over the past 22 months are intended to cause profound harm to Palestinians in Gaza, further asserting that these actions align with a genocidal agenda. The report is founded on interviews with 19 displaced individuals residing in makeshift camps and two medical staff members from hospitals in Gaza City, revealing the dire circumstances faced by many in the territory.
In response to these claims, the Israeli military and foreign ministry had not provided immediate comments when contacted. Notably, just last week, Israel’s defense ministry, through its COGAT unit—which manages civil affairs within the Palestinian territories—rejected assertions of widespread malnutrition, disputing figures circulated by the health ministry in Gaza, which is governed by Hamas.
Previously, in April, Amnesty International had accused Israel of committing a “live-streamed genocide” against the Palestinian people, claiming that significant forced displacements and dire humanitarian conditions were being observed in Gaza. Israel dismissed those allegations as “blatant lies” at the time, maintaining its stance on the necessity of its policies in the region.
