Israel Admits Palestinians In Gaza Could Face Starvation Within Weeks
New Delhi:
Palestinians in Gaza may face starvation within weeks if aid is not allowed in soon, Israeli defence officials have admitted. Three military officers monitoring the situation in Gaza said many areas may soon run out of enough food to meet basic daily needs.
Most bakeries in Gaza have shut down, charity kitchens are closing, and the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) says it has nothing left to distribute. The officers said that unless the blockade is lifted urgently, the crisis will worsen, as per The New York Times.
For months, Israel has said that its blockade on food and fuel in Gaza does not seriously harm civilians. Since it takes time to restart aid deliveries, the officers believe urgent action is needed now to avoid a food crisis.
On Monday, a UN-supported group called the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said famine was imminent in Gaza. They warned that if Israel continued with more military attacks, "the vast majority of people in the Gaza Strip would not have access to food, water, shelter, and medicine."
Despite this, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the army would continue its operations "in full force to finish the job", saying "there will be no way we will stop the war."
"We can make a ceasefire for a certain period of time, but we're going to the end," he said.
Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for Israel's foreign ministry, said he could not give details from internal talks, adding the ministry was in daily contact with all relevant agencies and watching the situation closely.
Since March 2, Israel has blocked all humanitarian aid, including food, water, fuel, and medicine, from entering Gaza. This blockade has been described by the United Nations as "deliberate and unashamedly" imposing inhumane conditions on Palestinians, placing them at severe risk of famine.
The WFP reports that its meal distributions have dropped from one million to only 250,000 per day due to the blockade, leaving warehouses empty.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that rising malnutrition rates in Gaza may have lasting effects on an entire generation of children, with 11 per cent suffering from acute malnutrition in some areas.
Israel maintains that the blockade is necessary to prevent aid from reaching Hamas. UN officials argue that starving civilians cannot be justified.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
Israel says striking 'military targets' in Tehran
The Israeli military said Monday it was striking targets in Tehran, where AFP journalists reported loud explosions on the 11th day of the Iran-Israel war. The Israeli air force "began a series of strikes toward military targets in Tehran ", a military statement said without elaborating. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Top 25 Most Beautiful Women In The World Car Novels Undo
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
IAEA chief says 'very significant damage' expected at Fordo site after US attacks on Iran
The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said on Monday that "very heavy damage" is expected at Iran's underground facility at Fordo after a U.S. airstrike there this weekend with sophisticated bunker-buster bombs. Rafael Mariano Grossi , the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency , made the statement in Vienna. "Given the explosive payload utilized and the extreme vibration sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred," Gross said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like War Thunder - Register now for free and play against over 75 Million real Players War Thunder Play Now He added that "at this time, no one, including the IAEA , is in a position to have fully assessed the underground damage at Fordo." Also Read: Israel says striking 'military targets' in Tehran Live Events Iran fired a salvo of missiles and drones on Monday at Israel while also warning the United States that its military has been given a "free hand" to attack American targets in the wake of the Trump administration's massive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Israel said its defense systems were operating to intercept the threat, apparently targeting north and central areas, and told people to head to shelters. Iran described the attack a new wave of its Operation "True Promise 3," saying it was targeting the Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, according to Iranian state television. There were no immediate reports of damage. The attack came the day after the United States inserted itself into Israel's war by attacking Iranian nuclear sites, prompting fears of a wider regional conflict. Iran said the U.S. had crossed "a very big red line" with its risky gambit to strike the three sites with missiles and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs. On Monday, Iranian Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi , the chief of joint staff of armed forces, warned Washington its strikes had given Iranian forces a "free hand " to "act against U.S. interests and its army." Mousavi described the American attack as violating Iran's sovereignty and being tantamount to invading the country, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. In the wake of the American attacks on Iran, calls came from across the globe for de-escalation and the return to diplomacy to try and resolve the conflict. On Monday, the European Union 's top diplomat said the bloc remained "very much focused on the diplomatic solution." "The concerns of retaliation and this war escalating are huge," Kaja Kallas said at the start of a foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels where Iran has jumped to the top of the agenda. "Especially closing of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is something that would be extremely dangerous and not good for anybody," Kallas said, referring to a maritime route crucial for oil transport. After Sunday's attacks, Iranian officials repeated their longtime threats of possibly closing the key shipping lane. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was meeting on Monday in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, one of Iran's key allies.
India Today
34 minutes ago
- India Today
Iran fires fresh barrage of missiles at Israel, blasts heard over Jerusalem
Iran launched a fresh wave of ballistic missiles at Israel on Monday, a day after the US conducted precision strikes targeting three key nuclear facilities in Tehran, according to preliminary Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were heard over Jerusalem, while sirens blared across northern Israel, news agency AFP reported. In the south, Israeli medics responded to reports of a missile strike in Ashdod. The Israeli military confirmed multiple launches from Iran amid rapidly escalating to the Times of Israel, Iran fired around 15 ballistic missiles, some of which made direct impacts on Israeli territory. Tensions in the Middle East escalated to new heights after the United States joined Israel's military campaign against Iran and conducted precision airstrikes to bomb the Islamic Republic's three nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and EAST CONFLICT | TOP DEVELOPMENTS The Israeli military on Monday instructed civilians to take shelter and remain in protected spaces as sirens blared across the country following the launch of several ballistic missiles from Iran. "A short while ago, sirens sounded in several areas across Israel following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel," the IDF said in a statement. The exchange marked the 11th straight day of cross-border fire between the two adversaries. advertisement Iran said its latest missile and drone barrage on Israel marked a new phase of its military campaign, dubbed "True Promise 3", targeting Tel Aviv and Haifa. Iranian state media reported that the strikes involved a combination of ballistic missiles and drones. Earlier in the day, the Israeli military claimed it had struck six Iranian military airports, destroying 15 fighter jets and helicopters, including F-14, F-5, and AH-1 aircraft. The IDF said its strikes also damaged runways and underground facilities at the targeted sites. "As part of the effort to deepen air superiority in Iranian skies, the IDF attacked six Iranian regime airports in western, eastern, and central Iran," the IDF said in a statement. Iran warned that the US strike on its nuclear sites has expanded the range of legitimate targets for its armed forces, lashing out at "gambler Trump" for joining Israel's war effort. Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya central military headquarters, said Washington should brace for 'heavy consequences.' advertisement'Mr Trump, the gambler, you may start this war, but we will be the ones to end it,' he declared in English at the end of a video statement. Iran and Israel exchanged air and missile strikes, as global anxiety mounted over Tehran's retaliation to a US attack on its nuclear facilities over the weekend — an operation President Donald Trump claimed could mark the beginning of regime change in Iran. Commercial satellite imagery suggested massive damage to Iran's heavily fortified Fordow nuclear site, including possible destruction of uranium-enriching centrifuges housed deep underground. However, experts said the full extent of the damage could not yet be independently verified. Meanwhile, Trump, in his recent social media post asserted that Iran's nuclear sites sustained "monumental damage" in the American attack. "Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran. The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!" he wrote. advertisementThe US President earlier called on Iran to forgo any retaliation and said the government "must now make peace" or future attacks would be "far greater and a lot easier". As American B-2 stealth bombers approached Iranian airspace on Saturday night, a US Navy submarine fired over two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles to take out key air defence systems. Minutes later, the bombers released 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators —30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs — targeting three underground nuclear sites deep inside Iran. Several countries have voiced alarm over the escalating tensions in the Middle East, urging immediate diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and expressed India's "deep concern" over Iran's ongoing conflict with Israel. PM Modi called for swift de-escalation through "dialogue and diplomacy". advertisement China condemned the US strikes on Iran, calling them a grave breach of international law that risked further destabilising the region. Beijing urged collective global efforts to restore peace and uphold justice, with the Foreign Ministry saying it was ready to work with the international community to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East. "China is willing to work with the international community to pool efforts together and uphold justice, and contribute to the work for restoring peace and stability in the Middle East," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also warned that the US bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities marked a "perilous turn" in Middle East tensions, as the UN Security Council convened an emergency session on Sunday to discuss the escalating crisis. "The bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States marks a perilous turn in a region that is already reeling. From the outset of the crisis, I have repeatedly condemned any military escalation in the Middle East," Secretary General Guterres told the UN Security Council. Tune InMust Watch
