UN: Israel Uses Gaza's Starvation As A Weapons Of War

Coconut refugees in Gaza due to the Palestinian Israeli conflict (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The United Nations has firmly stated that Israel has promoted the world's severe hunger disaster in Gaza. This statement was made by Tom Fletcher, Head of the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs Coordination.

"This is hunger that has been openly promoted by some Israeli leaders as weapons of war. This is hunger that we can all witness. Everyone is responsible for this. Gaza's hunger is world hunger," Tom explained during a press conference in Geneva, reported by Antara, Saturday, August 23.

In fact, Tom emphasized, the hunger experienced by the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is a form of disaster that can be predicted and prevented. However, this failed because Israel deliberately triggered obstacles to the distribution of humanitarian aid.

"This is a hunger disaster that we could actually prevent if we were allowed to do so," he added.

Due to systematic obstacles from Israel, Tom stressed food stocks piled up at the border. In fact, the source of food stocks is only a few hundred meters away where Gazans experience hunger and malnutrition.

In addition, he also highlighted the adverse effects of this humanitarian crisis on Gazans, especially those most vulnerable. This includes forcing parents to choose which children to feed.

'Forcing people to risk their lives to find food. Enough is all this, immediately hold a ceasefire and open all crossings, north and south. Allow the distribution of food and other supplies to be carried out on a large and unobstructed scale.

Apart from the Gaza Strip, global hunger monitors predict this hunger disaster will spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis in the coming weeks.