UN: One-Third of Gaza Starving as Israeli Siege Deepens – World news

The United Nations’ top humanitarian official has issued a stark warning over the accelerating humanitarian disaster in Gaza, where millions are suffering under Israel’s inhumane siege.

Tom Fletcher, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said Sunday that one in three people in Gaza hasn’t eaten for days, while children are “wasting away” from malnutrition and starvation caused by systematic obstruction of food aid.

“This is progress,” Fletcher said cautiously, referring to Israel’s temporary easing of some restrictions. Initial reports noted over 100 aid trucks entering Gaza –but the official emphasized that it remains dangerously insufficient.

“Vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis,” he said.

Fletcher condemned the Israeli regime’s repeated attacks on humanitarian convoys and civilians seeking food.

“People are being shot just trying to get food to feed their families,” he said. “Aid must not be blocked, delayed or come under fire.”

He also called for a permanent ceasefire and reiterated the UN’s demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

Meanwhile, Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya dismissed ceasefire negotiations as meaningless amid continued Israeli aggression.

In a statement broadcast Sunday, al-Hayya condemned the ongoing starvation campaign, calling on Arab and Muslim nations to take to the streets and march toward Palestine to break the Zionist-imposed blockade.

He urged Muslim scholars and the wider public not to allow Gaza “to die of hunger,” and called on all governments to cut political, diplomatic and commercial ties with the Israeli regime.

Al-Hayya further encouraged regional populations to surround Israeli embassies, intensify boycotts, and blockade the occupier “by land and sea.”

Despite international mediation efforts in Doha, talks remain stalled. The US and Israel withdrew their teams last Thursday after Hamas issued its latest response to a proposed truce.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has waged a genocidal war on Gaza, killing over 59,800 Palestinians –mostly women and children– and destroying much of the besieged enclave.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Israel also faces charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice for its war on the people of Gaza.