By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Gaza’s Government Media Office has accused Israel and the US of intentionally worsening the famine in Gaza by using the withholding of humanitarian aid as a political tool.

In a statement reported by Al-Jazeera on Monday, the media office said that these actions are deliberately “pushing 2.4 million civilians in the Gaza Strip into the tunnel of famine, enforcing a policy of starvation against children and patients by preventing the entry of food”.

“The specter of famine directly threatens the lives of citizens, warning of an increase in deaths due to hunger, especially among children, where 3,500 children are at risk of death due to malnutrition and the lack of nutritional supplements and vaccinations, which are now prohibited from entering Gaza,” the statement added.

‘The Opposite of Hope’ – UNICEF Spokesman Says War in Gaza Is a War on Children

The statement condemned “the continued prevention of aid, food, and goods from entering Gaza” and called on “the international community and all free nations to denounce this crime, which is classified by law as a crime against humanity and a violation of international law.”

Rafah Crossing

The Israeli army burned down on Monday the departure hall on the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, effectively severing Gaza’s connection to the outside world.

This act follows the Israeli army’s seizure of the Rafah crossing 40 days ago. 

The departure hall, along with other facilities and buildings, was set on fire, cutting off communication for Palestinians in Gaza. 

‘Criminal Act’ – Israeli Army Burns Rafah Departure Hall, Severing Gaza’s Connection to World

Several Palestinian social media accounts shared images showing the departure hall completely engulfed in flames.

This incident coincides with ongoing incursions by Israeli military vehicles into Rafah’s Philadelphi Corridor, a demilitarized buffer zone along Gaza’s border with Egypt.

Ongoing Genocide

Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.  

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 37,347 Palestinians have been killed, and 85,372 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip. 

Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

Gaza Under Fire – Israeli Genocide Continues with Deadly Airstrikes

The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children. 

The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.

Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.

(The Palestine Chronicle)