Gaza Health: The UN's decision to confirm famine "confirms the reality of Israeli starvation policy"

The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip has called on the international community to adopt "practical positions" to confront the famine that is leading to the death of thousands, following a UN decision confirming its spread in the northern part of the strip, with warnings of its extension to other areas.

This came in response to a report issued by the "Global Initiative for the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)" on Friday, which stated: "Famine has been confirmed in the Gaza Governorate (north), and it is expected to extend to the Deir al-Balah (central) and Khan Younis (south) governorates by the end of next September."

The ministry expressed its appreciation for the UN decision, although it came late in its opinion, "noting that it confirms the reality of the starvation policy implemented by Israel alongside its commission of genocide against the Palestinians for about 23 months."

In response to the report, Israel quickly attacked it. The Israeli army claimed in a statement, "The report contains substantial gaps in facts and methodology, and uses biased and self-interested information sources related to Hamas."

For its part, the ministry considered what it described as "Israeli starvation engineering" as one item in the chapters of genocide, which also includes systematic destruction of the health sector in addition to a policy of extermination of generations.

The ministry confirmed that "hundreds of deaths due to the Israeli starvation policy could have been prevented, warning that the lives of thousands are at stake as famine continues and worsens."

The ministry revealed today, Saturday, that it has recorded "eight new deaths, including two children, due to famine and malnutrition in the sector over the past 24 hours," bringing the total number of malnutrition deaths since October 2023 to "281 Palestinians, including 114 children."

Despite allowing the entry of "very limited trucks of humanitarian aid" three weeks ago, the humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate due to the blockade and lack of supplies. The ministry indicated that most of those trucks "are being stolen by gangs that the Gaza government claims are under Israeli protection."

It is noteworthy that Israel has closed all crossings leading to Gaza since March 2, preventing any humanitarian aid, which has plunged the strip into a state of famine despite the accumulation of relief trucks at its borders, allowing only very limited amounts that do not meet the minimum needs of the starving.

Gaza Health concluded its statements by saying: "The international community is facing a real test; the time is for actions, not just statements, no matter how important they are."