Humanitarian Catastrophe in Gaza: Only 10% of Scheduled Aid Entered in September Amid Accusations of "Engineering Starvation"

The Government Media Office in the Gaza Strip announced today, Thursday, an escalation of the humanitarian catastrophe, revealing that only 1,824 aid trucks entered the enclave during September, a mere fraction of the actual needs. This number represents just 10% of the 18,000 trucks anticipated and required to meet the minimum humanitarian needs of over 2.4 million Palestinian citizens, including more than one million children.

Accusations of Engineering Starvation and Chaos

The Palestinian statement indicated that the few trucks allowed entry "were subjected to looting and theft amid the artificial security chaos imposed by the Israeli occupation through the policy of engineering starvation and chaos, in a blatant attempt to undermine the resilience and will of our Palestinian people." The Office further asserted that the Israeli occupation continues to enforce a choking and systematic siege on the Strip, deliberately targeting the mass starvation of the population.

This siege includes the complete closure of crossings for over seven months, in addition to obstructing the entry of sufficient quantities of aid and preventing its delivery to those in need. The Office noted that Israel fully closes the northern crossing (Zikim) and frequently closes the central and southern crossings (Kissufim and Kerem Shalom), emphasizing that these practices constitute a "direct aggressive tool to starve the population."

Ban on 430 Essential Food Items

The Office also clarified that Israel is preventing the entry of 430 categories of essential foodstuffs needed by children, the sick, and the starving, in addition to hundreds of other items withheld from the civilian population. The banned items primarily include: table eggs, red and white meats, fish, cheeses, dairy derivatives, fruits, vegetables, and nutritional supplements, along as well as essential supplements required by pregnant women and the sick.

Economic Collapse and Near-Impossible Life

The statement confirmed that the Strip requires at least 600 aid trucks daily to meet the basic needs of 2.4 million people, amidst a near-complete collapse of infrastructure due to the ongoing war. The systematic blockade has caused a collapse in the purchasing power of the population, with over 95% of citizens unable to purchase goods even when they are occasionally available in markets. This intensifies poverty and hunger, making human life in the Gaza Strip nearly impossible.

The Palestinian Media Office held Israel and its allies, led by the United States, "fully responsible for the humanitarian disaster," and called upon the United Nations, Arab and Islamic nations, and the international community to take "serious and genuine action" to open the crossings, ensure the continuous flow of aid, particularly food, baby milk, and life-saving medicines, and hold the occupation accountable for its crimes against civilians.