Amnesty International has accused Israel of implementing a “deliberate policy” of starvation in Gaza, as the United Nations and humanitarian organizations warn of famine risks in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Israel has restricted the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza during its 22-month war against Hamas. While Tel Aviv denies intentionally causing starvation, Amnesty’s latest report cites testimony from displaced Palestinians and medical staff treating malnourished children, concluding that:
“Israel is conducting a deliberate starvation campaign in the occupied Gaza Strip.”
The group further accused Israel of “systematically destroying the health, welfare, and social fabric of Palestinian life”, describing the policy as part of an “ongoing genocide” against Palestinians.
Testimonies from the Ground
The report draws on interviews with 19 displaced Palestinians living in improvised camps, as well as two healthcare workers from Gaza City hospitals. It describes children suffering from severe malnutrition and families relying on charity kitchens for minimal food.
The World Health Organization has separately warned that malnutrition in Gaza has reached “alarming levels.”
Israel’s Response
Israel’s military body overseeing Palestinian territories (COGAT) rejected the claims, disputing malnutrition figures released by Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health and insisting that Israel is not preventing aid from entering.
Humanitarian Toll
The conflict, which began on October 7, 2023 after Hamas killed around 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages, has since escalated into a humanitarian catastrophe.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive — figures the United Nations deems credible.
Amnesty’s April report already accused Israel of genocide, citing forced displacement and systematic destruction, charges that Israel dismissed as “lies.”
