It has become so increasingly clear that Israel is intentionally starving the nearly 2 million Palestinians in Gaza that even major corporate news outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post and the British Broadcasting Corporation, are finally covering this crisis. Over the last week, the Times and other big business media ran a photo of a Palestinian mother and her starving child on page one.

That in itself is newsworthy after months of these media outlets ignoring the growing Israeli/U.S. genocide in Gaza. But they have been pushed to do so by the increasing international opposition to this murderous siege, which includes a joint statement signed by ministers of 28 countries — Australia, Austria, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland — issued on July 21, telling Israel that the war on Gaza “must end now.” Many of these countries are considered allies of Israel.

In addition, at an emergency summit in July of the Hague Group in Bogotá, Colombia, a joint statement was announced with measures to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes in Palestine. It was signed by Algeria, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, China, Cuba, Djibouti, Honduras, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Namibia, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Portugal, Qatar, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, Uruguay and Venezuela. (Consortium News, July 19)

And a statement by over 115 charity and human rights groups citing evidence of “Israel’s use of starvation to inflict genocide against Palestinians” is the latest example of condemnation of Israel. (Associated Press, July 23) 

‘Racing ahead for Gaza to be wiped out’

Articles in the Israeli press have made Israel’s intentions crystal clear. The Times of Israel on July 24 covered remarks by far-right Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu who said that “the government is racing ahead for Gaza to be wiped out.” While claiming “there is no hunger in Gaza,” Eliyahu stated, “all Gaza will be Jewish.”

In April 2025 Truthout covered a meeting between Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and top Republican leaders at Donald Trump’s estate at Mar-a-Lago, where they agreed that Israel should continue bombing humanitarian aid sites in Gaza as a means of preparing for Israelis to resettle Gaza. They did this despite global awareness that Israel’s withholding of humanitarian aid amounts to genocide, and the targeting of humanitarian aid and relief workers is a war crime.

According to Common Dreams, the Israeli Knesset (parliament) hosted a conference on July 22 titled “The Gaza Riviera — from vision to reality,” in which far-right politicians and Israeli settlers discussed “a proposed plan” to ethnically cleanse Gaza of Palestinians and annex it for Israel. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also a minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s defense ministry, referred to “a green light” from Trump to turn Gaza into “a prosperous strip, a resort town.” (July 23, 2025)

Their strategy is to make conditions so intolerable for Palestinians in Gaza that they will agree to relocate to other countries, including Ethiopia, Indonesia and Libya, although there is no basis in reality for this to happen.

Starvation deaths mounting across Gaza



The Cradle on July 22, reported that the United Nations’ food aid program warned that “one in three people in Gaza are going days without food, with thousands on the verge of ‘catastrophic hunger.’ … At the same time, 96 percent of the population suffers from severe food insecurity, including over one million children.”

On July 22 hospitals in Gaza reported that “fifteen more people died of starvation in the preceding 24 hours, bringing the total of deaths by starvation to 101, including 80 children.” (Mondoweiss, July 23) By all accounts this is an undercount given that deaths outside of hospitals are not included and that many deaths of newborn, elderly or chronically ill people may be attributed to other causes.

No lack of food

But there is no lack of food — only a lack of accessibility to the massive number of aid containers being denied entry by Israel. 

According to Oxfam, humanitarian aid groups have accumulated around 420,000 aid pallets — tens of thousands of truckloads of aid which are sitting in “limbo” in warehouses awaiting Israel’s approval for entry into Gaza. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has 6,000 trucks loaded with lifesaving materials waiting in Jordan and Egypt, because the Israel Occupation Forces, which control all entry of humanitarian supplies into Gaza, are blocking entry. (Truthout, July 24)

Israel has also restricted the U.N. and other recognized aid groups from operating in Gaza since May. The Zionist state has instead put the widely condemned Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in control of food distributions, despite over 1,000 Palestinians being killed by Israeli forces while seeking GHF aid. (www.workers.org/2025/07/86736/)

Several news sources also reported that U.S. contractors hired to guard aid distribution sites in Gaza have used live ammunition, stun grenades and tear gas against Palestinians seeking food. At one site, several women were reportedly beaten by these U.S. mercenaries.

Airdrops deadly and woefully inadequate

With international pressure mounting, on July 27 Israel began dropping aid from planes — a method used months ago that resulted in more deaths on the ground and provided no reliable way to distribute what aid was dropped. According to Reuters, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates were allowed to start air drops, but Oxfam has said the amount of food involved is woefully inadequate for Gazans’ needs.

Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam policy lead for the occupied Palestinian territories, told The Guardian: “Deadly airdrops and a trickle of trucks won’t undo months of engineered starvation in Gaza. What’s needed is the immediate opening of all crossings for full, unhindered and safe aid delivery across all of Gaza and a permanent ceasefire. Anything less risks being little more than a tactical gesture.” (July 27)

Many of the countries which signed the statement calling for Israel to end its war on Gaza have historically enabled Israel’s atrocities. Now is the time for action, not just words — public condemnation of Israel’s conduct must be matched with protective and preventive action for the people of Gaza.

Many of these countries have the capacity — the ships and planes — that could immediately break the blockade and end the genocide. To do less leaves these countries complicit in Israel’s genocidal war crimes.

Open all Gaza crossings and end the war now!