Ample evidence of Israel using food as weapon of war: Analyst
In light of the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli leaders, analyst Neve Gordon says there is “substantial” evidence of Israel using food as a method of war.
“First, there’s the intent and we have heard utterances both by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant saying they intend to deprive the Palestinians in Gaza of fuel, electricity and food,” Gordon, a professor at Queen Mary University in London, told Al Jazeera.
“And second, we have the level of trucks that were entering the Gaza Strip before October, which was around 500 trucks … and it has gone down recently to only 50 or 100 trucks or so.”
Gordon said since Israeli authorities are “controlling all the borders to the Gaza Strip”, this is evidence that it isn’t providing the necessary food items.
“We also have evidence from doctors and different UN agencies that have been telling us for months that malnutrition is spreading among the population. In several places, there’s over 20-30 percent of children suffering from acute malnutrition.”
A Palestinian child whose health is deteriorating from malnutrition in Jabalia, northern Gaza
Bread increasingly hard to find in central Gaza
The UN says Gaza’s entire population is on the verge of famine. Aid workers in charity kitchens are still cooking what food they can – but nowhere near enough to feed all who are hungry
In central Gaza, Majdi Yaghi, 61, a displaced resident from Gaza City, said it’s increasingly difficult to find bread to eat. “This is the third day that I have come to Zadna Bakery, and I still cannot get bread. … I have children to feed, and I am able to pay. What about others who are not able?”
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification defines famine as when at least 20 percent of people in an area are suffering extreme food shortages, at least 30 percent of children are acutely malnourished, and two people of 10,000 die daily from starvation, malnutrition or disease.
G7 ministers to discuss ICC warrants next week: Italy PM
G7 ministers meeting in Italy next week will discuss the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says.
Meloni’s hard-right coalition government appears divided. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said on Thursday that Italy would have to arrest Israel’s premier if he visited – only for Meloni’s deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini, to say Netanyahu would be welcome in Italy.
“In the coming days I will delve deeper into the reasons that led to the ICC’s decision. Reasons that should always be objective and not political in nature,” Meloni said in a statement.
“One point remains clear from this government – there cannot be an equivalence between the responsibility of the state of Israel and the terrorist organisation Hamas,” Meloni said.
Why are they forcing double standards?? Not even hiding it. International law should treat everyone equal.
Besides that, the responsibility of the occupying party is indeed not the same as that of a resistance group. Both engage in terrorist activities, however one goes much further and turned terrorism into a daily tactic, killing dozens to over 100 people daily.
How about end your complicity in mass murder, starvation, torture and ethnic cleansing.
