Ramallah: The Government Operations Room affirmed on Wednesday that the Gaza Strip is being subjected to deliberate starvation due to the closure of border crossings and the blocking of aid into the region. It highlighted the ongoing humanitarian crisis, with tens of thousands of tons of food aid halted just meters away from the civilian population facing severe famine, and urged the international community to take immediate action to prevent further deterioration of conditions in the Strip.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the remarks were made during a meeting with delegations from the World Food Programme and the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in Ramallah. The statement from Hamad underscored that the Strip has been under a total blockade for over 600 days, imposed by the Israeli occupation, which includes a complete ban on food, medicine, water, and fuel. This situation has been exacerbated by the closure of crossings to patients and humanitarian aid.
Hamad further noted that after 100 days of renewed aggression, Palestinian civilians have been killed by Israeli bombings and starvation, while the global community remains passive, witnessing what she described as genocide through starvation as a method of warfare. She labeled the Israeli blockade as a systematic crime of genocide, noting that it has rendered 81 percent of the Strip's area inaccessible or subjected to forced evacuation, displacing 40 percent of its population since March 2025.
Hamad criticized Israeli statements regarding the opening of border crossings as false, claiming that the aid allowed into the enclave, mainly flour, constitutes only 0.1% of the minimal requirement. Hundreds of essential food items and medicines remain banned from entering the area.
She vividly described the desperate scenes in the Strip, with displaced Palestinians struggling to survive, children succumbing to hunger, and the elderly dying without medical care. Hamad emphasized that the situation represents a breakdown of international law principles and held the Israeli occupation and its supporters accountable for the humanitarian catastrophe.
Hamad reiterated calls for an immediate cessation of aggression, permanent and unhindered opening of all crossings, and the unobstructed entry of essential supplies into the Strip. She also urged for the empowerment of UN organizations, particularly WFP and UNRWA, to oversee the delivery of humanitarian aid to ensure its impartiality and neutrality, and to prevent its use as a tool of warfare.
