Global Outrage Over Gaza Crisis amid Israeli Offensive
Widespread condemnation has been voiced over the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, with the United Nations describing the situation as a multi-generational crisis due to Israel's offensive. The conflict has already claimed the lives of at least 61,499 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, a figure the United Nations has deemed reliable.
A Man-made Crisis
The current crisis in Gaza is described as man-made and intended to maximize suffering. The UN has reported that families are being 'wiped out', and a generation is on the brink due to malnutrition from starvation and military strikes. Educational facilities have also been affected, with 97% of them reported as damaged, leaving students hungry and out of school.
Israel's Defense
Despite global criticism, Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, refutes allegations of intended starvation or genocide. He dismissed the situation as a temporary shortage
rather than starvation. He stated that if genocide or starvation were intended policies, the Gazan population wouldn't have survived the past 20 months.
International Response
In response to the ongoing crisis, Britain and 26 other countries, including Australia, Canada, and the European Union, have issued a joint statement calling for an end to the 'famine' in Gaza. They described the humanitarian crisis as having reached unimaginable levels
and called on the Israeli government to authorize all international NGO aid shipments and unblock essential humanitarian actors from operating.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Controversy
However, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israeli-backed organization, has been accused by UN human rights experts of exploiting humanitarian relief for covert military and geopolitical agendas. The UN experts have called for its immediate dismantling, citing serious violations of international law.
Humanitarian Catastrophe
The humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza has led to the death of at least 96 Palestinian children and infants from malnutrition and starvation due to the blockade. Reports suggest that the total number of hunger-related deaths is approaching 200.
Despite the international outcry, a poll conducted by the Viterbi Family Centre for Public Opinion and Policy Research at the Israel Democracy Institute found that a large majority of Israeli Jews, 79%, said they are not so troubled
or not troubled at all
by reports of famine in Gaza.
Conclusion
The ongoing crisis in Gaza continues to draw international attention, with growing calls for an immediate end to the violence. However, the situation remains volatile, with the humanitarian catastrophe deepening amid accusations of an 'Israeli-engineered' aid chaos and global demands for concrete steps to facilitate the entry of aid into the beleaguered enclave.