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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">'Targeted starvation campaign' by Israel has led to famine across Gaza: UN experts</h1></div>
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<p>Israel is engaged in a 'form of genocidal violence' as it starves Palestinians in Gaza, say 10 rights experts<br>
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<p>Palestinians gather to receive food cooked by a charity after an Israeli assault on Rafah, 8 May 2024 (Reuters)</p>
<p><span>Published date:</span> 9 July 2024<span id="gmail-date-updatedago"><br></span></p>
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<div><p>After nine months of <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/israel" target="_blank">Israel's</a>
near-total blockade on humanitarian aid, ten top United Nations experts
on Tuesday said they had seen enough, declaring that Israel is engaged
in a "targeted starvation campaign" in <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/topics/gaza-under-attack" target="_blank">Gaza</a>. </p>
<p>"We declare that Israel's intentional and targeted starvation campaign against the <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/palestine" target="_blank">Palestinian</a> people is a form of genocidal violence and has resulted in famine across all of Gaza," <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/07/un-experts-declare-famine-has-spread-throughout-gaza-strip" target="_blank">said</a> the experts.</p>
<p>"We call upon the international community to prioritise the delivery
of humanitarian aid by land by any means necessary, end Israel’s siege
and establish a ceasefire,” they added. </p>
<p>Michael Fakhri, the special rapporteur on the right to food, along
with other experts such as Francesca Albanese, the special rapporteur on
the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, and Paula
Gaviria Betancur, the special rapporteur on the human rights of
internally displaced persons, issued the statement.</p>
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<p>At least 33 children, mostly in northern Gaza, have died of
malnutrition since the war began in October, according to the
Palestinian health ministry.</p>
<p>The group of ten rights experts cited the deaths of three children
aged thirteen, nine and six months, from malnutrition in Khan Younis and
Deir al-Balah since the end of May, leading them to assert that a
famine is now underway.</p>
<p>"With the death of these children from starvation despite medical
treatment in central Gaza, there is no doubt that famine has spread from
northern Gaza into central and southern Gaza," the experts said.</p>
<p>Israel's diplomatic mission in Geneva said the statement was "misinformation".</p>
<p>"Israel has continuously scaled up its coordination and assistance in
the delivery of humanitarian aid across the Gaza Strip, recently
connecting its power line to the Gaza water desalination plant," the
mission said.</p>
<h3>Famine for months</h3>
<p>In June a report issued by an independent group of experts known as
the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, or Fews Net, warned that
famine in Gaza may have been taking place since April, and is likely to
continue through July “if there is not a fundamental change in how food
assistance is distributed and accessed” after it enters the Strip.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/israel" target="_blank">Israel</a> continues to block the Rafah crossing with <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/egypt" target="_blank">Egypt</a>, and restrict aid entry via the Karem Shalom crossing with southern Gaza.</p>
<p>“The population’s access to and utilization of available food
assistance has been insufficient to meet the level of need to date, and
much more must be done immediately to ensure humanitarian food
assistance is distributed effectively once it enters Gaza,” the report
reads.</p>
<p>The US-based Fews Net conducted its analysis on famine in Gaza based
on three conditions that have to be met - namely food consumption, acute
malnutrition, and mortality. </p>
<p>It concluded that the spike in death rates in the besieged enclave is
directly linked to the “near” famine levels, and that “extremely high”
rates of malnutrition among children will lead to severe physiological
impacts.</p>
<p>Famine thresholds had, however, been reached in northern Gaza in April, it said.</p>
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