It is now official. What had been warned repeatedly would happen, has. Gaza is now in the grip of famine. This is no longer hyperbole by pro-Palestinian enthusiasts or anti-Israeli propagandists. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has declared that Gaza City is now at IPC Level 5, or famine, and that Khan Younis in the southern part of the Gaza Governorate and Deir al-Balah in the central part, would follow suit by the end of September. The IPC finding marks the first time it has. The IPC surveys all parts of the world for food security difficulties, and classifies entire countries, area by area, according to how much food stress they are suffering. So far, the IPC has only given areas in Africa the classification of a famine, which it only issues where 20 percent of all households have an extreme lack of food, where 30 percent of children under five are malnourished, where more than five deaths per 100,00 are occurring daily.
There were 89 deaths from malnutrition or related diseases in the first seven months of the year, and then there has been a spike, with 138 deaths in August alone. There has been famine before in recent times, and like before, an artificial shortage has been created by Israel’s blocking of aid to Gaza, even though the world is willing. Israel continues to disclaim responsibility, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissing the report as an ‘outright lie’. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has said there is no famine in Gaza. As the famine finally sets in, after weeks of warnings by various aid agencies, Israel launches its ‘big push’ to flush out all Hamas forces from Gaza city itself. Indeed, from the Israeli perspective, it makes sense to launch an offensive against a starving city.
Already, disturbing images of children, emaciated by starvation, are emerging. Already once firm Israeli allies are shaken. More will be shaken. More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire and bombardment. Now, it seems more are to die by starvation. Israel has gone rogue and is using the same methods which were used against the Jews by the Nazis. If not by bombs, then by famine: Palestinians must be wiped out. The world must act, particularly the powers backing it, or else as great a tragedy will be enacted, as Israel was called into being to compensate for.
