Rights Groups Demand Release of Egyptian Cartoonist Ashraf Omar After One Year in Detention
July 23, 2025
Al Jazeera Joins AFP in Global Call to Evacuate and Protect Gaza’s Starving Journalists
July 23, 2025
July 23, 2025 – Palestine –
Over 100 humanitarian organisations have issued an urgent warning that Gaza is facing mass, forced starvation due to Israel’s continued blockade and obstruction of aid. In a joint letter, major international groups, including Amnesty International, Oxfam, and Médecins Sans Frontières, accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war. They report that nearly all of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents are now suffering from acute food insecurity, and at least 111 deaths linked to malnutrition and starvation have been recorded in recent weeks.
The blockade, which has severely restricted the entry of food, water, medicine, and fuel since early March 2025, has pushed Gaza’s population to the brink of famine. Humanitarian deliveries remain sporadic and limited, with many convoys facing delays or direct attacks. Witnesses have described repeated incidents where civilians were shot at while trying to access food. Aid workers, journalists, and displaced families have all been caught in the violence surrounding distribution sites, which are now scenes of desperation and chaos.
CNN reports that even international relief workers in Gaza are now queuing for food and operating without basic medical supplies. The collapse of hospitals, bakeries, and sanitation systems has intensified suffering, while the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has faced sharp criticism for failing to meet emergency needs. Aid groups argue that the foundation lacks neutrality and is incapable of responding effectively to the crisis.
The UN and multiple governments have condemned the siege, with legal experts warning that the use of starvation against civilians may amount to a war crime. UN human rights chief Volker Türk and the European Union have called for immediate humanitarian access and an end to collective punishment. Despite growing international pressure, aid groups say Gaza remains sealed off from the supplies needed to prevent a mass death toll.
The statement ends with a stark warning: unless the blockade is lifted and unrestricted humanitarian access is granted, the world will bear witness to a man-made famine on an unprecedented scale.
References –
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/23/middleeast/israel-gaza-aid-blockade-starvation-risk-intl-hnk
