Gaza blockade has destroyed food, farms and aid supplies: Media Office
Gaza’s Government Media Office has accused Israel of committing a “documented crime of starvation” against the territory’s residents, saying its blockade has destroyed food supplies, agriculture and livestock while preventing aid from reaching those in need.
It said annual vegetable production has collapsed from 405,000 tonnes to 28,000 tonnes since the war began while 665 cattle, sheep and poultry farms have been destroyed.
Relief convoys have been “targeted, detained and looted”, the office said, calling it “an unprecedented humanitarian crime” supported by video, audio and testimony from international organisations.
The statement cited recorded remarks by Israeli officials, including former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s pledge to cut off “electricity, food, water [and] gas” to Gaza and comments from far-right Ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich that they would “not allow a single grain of wheat” into the territory.
The office also accused Israel of banning foreign journalists from entering Gaza to “cover up genocide, starvation, forced displacement and destruction”, saying Israel has reversed a pledge to allow media access.
“The occupation [Israel] is using food as a weapon of war and slowly killing civilians through starvation and siege,” the statement said while calling for urgent international intervention and accountability before international courts.
Gaza suffering reaches ‘unimaginable’ levels: 27 countries
Britain, Canada, Australia, Japan and 23 of their European allies say the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached “unimaginable levels” and have called on Israel to allow aid into the Palestinian enclave.
“Famine is unfolding before our eyes. Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation,” the foreign ministers of the countries said in a joint statement published by Britain.
“We call on the government of Israel to provide authorisation for all international NGO aid shipments and to unblock essential humanitarian actors from operating,” the statement said.
Shrouds running out as Israel intensifies attacks, Gaza hospital warns
As Israel intensifies deadly attacks, officials at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, have launched an appeal for shrouds as the growing number of fatalities has led to a shortage of burial materials for the victims.
In a social media post verified by Al Jazeera, an official at the hospital’s laundry department warned that the increasing lack of shrouds would force un the coming days the workers to bring out those killed uncovered.
