In a new war crime that exacerbates the human tragedy, the Zionist occupation continues to close the crossings and prevent the entry of food, medical, and fuel aid into the Gaza Strip for the eleventh consecutive day, threatening the lives of 2.4 million people amidst an escalating humanitarian disaster.

Since the beginning of the month of Ramadan, the Gaza Strip has witnessed a complete ban on the entry of humanitarian aid, while famine once again knocks at its doors. Amid this siege, children are searching for food among piles of garbage, while the world merely watches, observing the tragedy without taking any decisive action!

As these crimes continue, the question arises again: When will the human conscience act before Gaza turns into a mass

Warnings of a humanitarian disaster and a new famine.

The Ministry of Social Development in Gaza has warned about the danger of the famine circle widening again due to the occupation's blockade on humanitarian aid. It indicated that the occupation does not adhere to international humanitarian covenants, but rather intensifies its policy by preventing the private sector from operating and destroying agricultural land and infrastructure.

The ministry confirmed, in a statement that "Al-Mujtama" reviewed, that the suspension of aid entry warns of a humanitarian disaster and a return to famine, as more than 2.4 million citizens rely on that aid as their sole source of food, amid the lack of any food reserves for families due to the ongoing Zionist blockade.

The ministry explained that the prohibition of aid entry means:

• Bakeries have stopped operating due to a shortage of flour and fuel.
• The lack of cooking gas makes preparing food an almost impossible task.
• More than 289,824 children and 139,764 elderly people are at risk of dying from hunger and cold due to the lack of food, blankets, and heating sources.
• The housing crisis has worsened as the occupation continues to prevent the entry of tents, leaving thousands of families homeless.

The ministry urged the international community and human rights organizations to intervene urgently to stop these arbitrary measures, emphasizing that what is happening is a crime that violates all international norms and laws.

For his part, the spokesperson for the United Nations Human Rights Commission, Thameen Al-Khitan, affirmed that Israel's prevention of humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip is contrary to its responsibilities under international law

He added: "Israel," as an occupying power, is obligated to provide food and medical supplies to the population and to ensure that aid reaches them without obstacles. He described the decision to halt aid as "unacceptable" and a violation of international obligations, warning of the consequences of rising food prices and the spread of hunger, indicating that this action constitutes collective punishment and threatens the lives of civilians, according to what the Anadolu Agency reported.

Voices from Gaza: "It is a systematic war of starvation

Activists from Gaza have issued emergency calls, warning of the seriousness of the situation. Palestinian academic Naim bin Ghazi described the situation by saying: "I swear to God, this is a war of starvation! The crossings are closed, the markets are empty, and prices have reached astronomical levels... We are living through the worst chapters of terrifying betrayal.

The activist Tamer said: "The starvation war is worsening, and the catastrophe is escalating, while there is no serious movement to stop Israel from killing the people of Gaza by starvation, supported by the United States, during the holy month of Ramadan!

He wondered: What is the use of plans to prevent displacement if food, which is essential for survival, is not provided?! Despite the fact that the Arabs have important leverage over the Americans to stop ethnic cleansing?!

Journalist Anas Al-Sharif, a correspondent for Al Jazeera in Gaza, confirmed that the humanitarian situation is catastrophic, stating: "Don't be fooled by pictures of iftars here and there; Gaza is under siege, its crossings are completely closed, and aid is prohibited. Its residents are without shelter, food, clean water, hospitals, schools, or electricity… just destruction, hunger, and hope besieged among the rubble.

The occupation cuts off electricity completely and threatens to stop the water.

In a serious escalation, the occupation announced last Sunday the complete halt of electricity supply to the Gaza Strip, despite having cut it off since the start of the war on October 7, 2023.

The decision was announced by Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen, who stated in a televised remark: "We will use all available tools to secure the release of the hostages and to ensure that there is no Hamas in Gaza after the war." According to what was reported by BBC Arabic.

The occupying government confirmed that it does not rule out stopping water supplies as well, which means that the sector is facing the worst humanitarian disaster in its history.

Palestinian observers believe that the occupation's decision to cut electricity to the Gaza Strip is part of its attempts to pressure the Islamic resistance movement (Hamas) to release the Israeli prisoners held by the resistance.

However, this procedure, according to these observers, deepens the humanitarian disaster in the sector, where more than 2.4 million Palestinians live in tragic conditions as a result of the suffocating blockade.

Hamas: The occupation persists in collective punishment.

In its comment on the decision, Hamas affirmed that what the occupation is doing is a further escalation of the collective punishment policy it has been implementing against the residents of Gaza since the first day of the aggression on October 7, 2023. The movement clarified that the complete cut-off of electricity came after the residents had been deprived of food, medicine, water, and fuel, in a desperate attempt to pressure the Palestinian people and their resistance through a policy of cheap and rejected blackmail.

In a statement, the movement emphasized that the occupation's insistence on closing the crossings, halting humanitarian and relief assistance, preventing the entry of fuel, and starving the population constitutes a complete war crime.

Hamas pointed out that these measures constitute a blatant violation of international agreements and a breach of all humanitarian laws and norms, affirming that the occupation does not respect any international commitments or obligations.

It also accused the head of the occupying government, Benjamin Netanyahu, of seeking to disrupt the agreement witnessed by the world through his attempts to impose a new roadmap that serves his personal interests at the expense of the lives of the Zionist prisoners, thereby ignoring even the demands of their families who are calling for him to find a solution

As the siege continues, with power outages, lack of food and water, and a worsening fuel crisis, over two million Palestinians find themselves facing a slow death, while the occupation escalates its brutal actions without any serious international measures to stop this crime.

Read the article in Arabic