How The Gaza Strip Famine Threatens The Lives Of Thousands

Ever since the Israeli airstrikes began ravaging the Gaza Strip, there have been a lot of issues, but one of the most pressing issues is the famine that has already taken the lives of thousands. So what happens next?

How This All Started

Gaza depended mainly on imported goods from other countries in the Middle East. Because of this, Israel saw a way to exploit this dependence and deprive the people of Gaza from necessary resources, including food, cooking oil, and gas. Before the blockade, there were 400 trucks carrying goods to the Strip every day. Under the blockade, the 400 trucks were reduced to 106. Their plan was to starve the people of Gaza just enough to not kill them. 

How it Escalated

On October 9th 2023, Israel introduced a new policy which completely blocked off water and food to Gaza. Since Gaza is reliant on imported food, this was absolutely horrible for them. Within a month, people were starved and malnourished. After this, Israel started using airstrikes to target bakeries, mills, and farms, further ruining the health of the people in Gaza. By March 2024, nearly half of all the farmland in Gaza was destroyed. By June 2024, northern Gaza was unable to support life, the water was polluted, and all the tree cover was destroyed. Most humanitarian aid efforts have failed because Israel uses airstrikes to attack supply trucks and aid seekers.

Effects Of Starvation

Babies are dying within days because their mothers are undernourished. Children are weakened, making them succumb to hypothermia. UNICEF found that 16% of children in Gaza were severely malnourished and 3% were suffering from wasting syndrome. Some people resorted to eating animal feed and a two year old died from food poisoning because of it. The Gaza Media Office said that 3,500 children under the age of five were at risk of death from starvation.

War Crime Accusations

Israel has been accused of orchestrating war crimes on many many occasions. On 13 February 2024, US Senator Chris Van Hollen, said, "Kids in Gaza are now dying from the deliberate withholding of food. That is a war crime. It is a textbook war crime. And that makes those who orchestrate it war criminals."

Conclusion

The Gaza Strip famine continues to be a raging threat to the people of Gaza. Humanitarian aid efforts are trying to send supply trucks but are currently held up by the blockade. The rate of deaths has increased a lot since June 2025. The deaths this month surpassed 200. If this trend continues to go on, the people of Gaza may not be able to hold on any longer.