Hamas accuses Israel of weaponising aid as Gaza’s hunger crisis worsens

Israel’s defense minister stated that the blockade is a tool to pressure Hamas and affirmed that there are no intentions to ease it.

Hamas has accused Israel of using starvation as a warfare tactic, following the defense minister’s commitment to upholding the blockade on Gaza. Aid shipments to the Palestinian region were stopped on March 2, preceding Israel’s resumption of airstrikes on March 18 and subsequent ground operations.

During a statement on Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz labeled the blockade as a crucial tactic against Hamas, stating that the restrictions won’t be lifted, despite UN alerts about the worsening malnutrition situation in Gaza. In response, Hamas criticized Katz’s comments as an acknowledgment of committing a war crime.

Israel has been withholding essential supplies from innocent civilians in Gaza for seven consecutive weeks, as stated by Hamas. The group urged the international community to intervene and put an end to the blockade and starvation faced by Gaza residents.

In a ruling in March 2024, the International Court of Justice mandated Israel to guarantee the delivery of vital aid, such as food, water, fuel, and medical resources, to Gaza. Israel has persistently disregarded this order, alleging that Hamas misuses aid.

Israeli military sources estimate that Gaza’s food supplies may run out within a month, as per Israel’s Kan broadcaster. The army is contemplating strategies to distribute aid without it falling into Hamas’s hands, including the establishment of aid centers managed by international bodies in areas secured by Israeli forces.

Reports indicate that Israel aims to screen aid beneficiaries in advance, a move considered unacceptable by UN agencies. The United Nations has highlighted the deepening hunger crisis in Gaza, reporting a significant rise in children admitted with acute malnutrition in March compared to February.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that food consumption in Gaza has drastically declined due to the blockade, now in its seventh week. This stringent policy of withholding food, water, and aid from Gaza while expanding territorial control has been criticized by Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh.