North Gaza on brink of 'imminent famine' amid ongoing Israeli siege
4 Min Read
As the Israeli occupation continues its "starve or surrender" policy in northern Gaza, the US administration continues to make empty threats necessitating that aid be allow through.
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Palestinians gather to receive bags of flour distributed by UNRWA, the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees, in Deir al Balah, central Gaza Strip, on November 2, 2024. (AP)
A group of international food security specialists cautioned on Friday that famine is likely to occur soon in parts of the northern Gaza Strip as the Israeli occupation continues its aggression against the Gaza Strip and its people, including women and children.
In a rare alert, the independent Famine Review Committee (FRC) said, "Immediate action, within days not weeks, is required from all actors who are directly taking part in the conflict, or have influence on its conduct, to avert and alleviate this catastrophic situation."
The alert comes shortly before a US deadline for "Israel" to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Almost a year ago, the UN described the region as "uninhabitable" due to Israeli airstrikes, warning that failure to make progress could lead to potential cuts in US military aid.
Empty US efforts vs Israeli starvation policy
The Biden administration urged the occupation to let more aid into Gaza but has not done much to enforce the matter.
Reports suggest that the US ignored its agencies, which found that "Israel" had blocked food and medicine shipments. According to US law, US aid that any "state" that prevents US aid from reaching its destination should face the consequence of no military aid shipments.
“If no effective action is taken by stakeholders with influence, the scale of this looming catastrophe is likely to dwarf anything we have seen so far in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023,” the FRC committee said.
As we entered the apocalyptic, destroyed Gaza City, desperate families from the besieged North Gaza were fleeting south with the little they can carry.
— Jan Egeland (@NRC_Egeland) November 8, 2024
A white flag in hand to beg for mercy and no further bombardment. pic.twitter.com/1s2YWRP9v7
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, between 75,000 and 95,000 people are estimated to live in northern Gaza.
The Famine Review Committee stated that it is likely starvation, malnutrition, and excess deaths from malnutrition and disease are growing rapidly in northern Gaza, adding, “Famine thresholds may have already been crossed or else will be in the near future."
The US claimed that it is closely monitoring the situation to ensure that Israeli actions in northern Gaza do not reflect a “policy of starvation.” However, Palestinians, Israeli human rights groups, and even some members of the Israeli military claim that "Israel" is carrying out a strategy known as the “generals’ plan,” which they describe as a "surrender or starve" approach aimed at forcing the depopulation of northern Gaza.
Palestinian photographer Khadija Hemaid documents the forced displacement of Palestinian families from Jabalia, north of Gaza. pic.twitter.com/SLWXmKm2Ey
— Gaza Notifications (@gazanotice) November 7, 2024
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has implied that the ethnic cleansing of Gaza by "Israel" has only been prevented due to the steadfastness of its people, who have resisted intense pressure to abandon their homes, as well as the determination of Arab nations to reject mass population transfers.
As a testament to "Israel’s" starvation policy in Gaza, senior Israeli security officials recently told Israeli newspaper Haaretz that, with no other options being considered, the government is working toward "annexing large portions of Gaza".
IOF depriving 80,000 Palestinians in northern Gaza
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza reported on Friday that 80,000 Palestinians still in northern Gaza are deprived of basic necessities and humanitarian aid.
Our correspondent pointed out that thousands of families have been displaced to the west of Gaza City and are sleeping on the streets because of a lack of tents available to protect them from heat and cold.
Intense shelling by Israeli naval vessels targeted the beach of the al-Nuseirat refugee camp and the city of Rafah in the central and southern Gaza Strip.
