Gaza city: Palestinians in the Gaza Strip continue to endure hunger under a new starvation policy engineered by Israel, which allows only non-essential goods to enter the enclave while blocking essential food and medical supplies. At first glance, anyone passing through Gaza's markets might think life has returned to normal after two years of a brutal Israeli offensive that left the territory uninhabitable. Store shelves are filled with imported biscuits, chocolate boxes, instant coffee jars, and potato chip cans. However, behind these shelves stacked with non-essential consumer goods lies a suffocating humanitarian crisis deliberately engineered by Israel to starve Palestinians.
According to Anadolu Agency, Aya Abu Qamar, a mother of three from Gaza City, described the dire situation, stating, 'I haven't found eggs, chicken, or cheese since food supplies started entering the Gaza Strip.' She expressed frustration that the available products, such as chocolate and snacks, do not meet the daily nutritional needs of her family. The shortage of essential food and medicine has left many Gazans struggling to sustain themselves and their families.
In the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, grocery store owner Fadl Saad Abu Dalal lamented the lack of essential goods, pointing out that the availability of non-essential items like biscuits and soft drinks does little to alleviate the crisis. He noted that Israel's selective allowance of goods is part of a larger strategy to manage the blockade in a new way, leaving the market with a facade of normalcy while residents face severe shortages of cash, work, and essential supplies.
Abdel Hayy Abu Shammala, a furniture factory owner, highlighted the scarcity of essential items such as flour, cooking oil, eggs, meat, and chicken. He emphasized that the blockade amounts to collective punishment, depriving the people of Gaza of vital resources. The industrial sector in Gaza has also been severely affected, with many operations shutting down due to the lack of supplies.
Ismail Al-Thawabteh, director of the Gaza Government Media Office, reported that Israel violates agreements by controlling the flow of goods into Gaza. Despite the entry of some trucks, the majority carry non-essential items, failing to meet the needs of Gaza's 2.4 million residents. The Gaza Government Media Office disclosed that 4,453 trucks have entered the enclave since October 10, out of the expected 15,600. The office also noted that 350 essential food items are currently barred from entering Gaza, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
The ongoing situation has led to international calls for action, urging pressure on Israel to ensure the protection of Palestinian lives. The blockade and its impact on the availability of essential supplies continue to be a critical issue for the residents of Gaza.