GAZA, (PIC)
The Government Media Office (GMO) in the Gaza Strip has warned of an escalating policy of “engineered starvation” carried out by the Israeli occupation through restricting flour supplies and controlling the flow of essential goods, amid alarming international inaction. This situation threatens the food security of more than 2.4 million Palestinians in the enclave.
In a press statement, the GMO said that recent months have witnessed a serious decline in bread production due to a severe shortage of flour, alongside tightened restrictions on the entry of goods and humanitarian aid. It noted that, at best, the quantities allowed into Gaza have not exceeded 38% of pre-war levels, despite an agreement to allow 600 trucks per day under the humanitarian protocol.
The statement explained that the crisis worsened after the World Central Kitchen stopped supplying flour to Gaza, having previously provided between 20 and 30 tons daily. In addition, the World Food Programme reduced its daily supply from 300 tons to 200 tons, while other organizations have also halted support for bread and flour.
According to available data, Gaza’s daily need for flour is around 450 tons, while only about 200 tons are currently available, creating a severe supply gap.
Around 30 bakeries are operating in the Strip, producing approximately 133,000 bundles of bread per day. Of these, 48,000 are distributed for free, while 85,000 are sold at subsidized prices through 142 distribution points. However, these quantities do not meet the population’s actual needs.
The office warned that the continued decline in humanitarian support could lead to a complete collapse of the bread system, reinforcing a starvation policy targeting civilians. It described what is happening as a “systematic soft war” that falls within a policy of genocide.
The statement also criticized remarks by international representative Nikolay Mladenov regarding the entry of hundreds of trucks into Gaza, calling them “inaccurate and a misleading political cover” for the ongoing blockade.
The GMO called on the international community and mediators to act immediately to pressure Israel to fully open border crossings, allow the unrestricted entry of wheat and flour, and ensure aid flows according to actual needs, holding Israel fully responsible for the worsening crisis.
It further stressed that the continuation of this policy constitutes a “fully fledged crime” that warrants international accountability.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Food and Agricultural Industries warned of the consequences of continued restrictions on importing industrial oils and spare parts necessary to operate production lines, emphasizing that this situation threatens the shutdown of an increasing number of factories and bakeries still operating under limited resources and difficult conditions.
In a press statement on Sunday, the federation said that the shortage of these essential supplies puts food production facilities at risk of halting operations soon, which would directly impact the availability of basic goods, especially bread, and pose a direct threat to food security in Gaza.
In this context, the Deputy Chairman of the Federation, Samir Bishara Shahada, stated that the food industrial sector is going through a critical phase due to the continued ban on essential operating supplies, warning of its impact on production continuity.
The federation renewed its call for international organizations and humanitarian agencies to intervene urgently to ensure the entry of industrial oils and spare parts without delay, considering them a humanitarian and economic necessity that cannot be postponed.
Residents of Gaza are forced to stand in long lines at the few operational bakeries in the Strip, supported by the United Nations World Food Programme, which provides them with fuel and flour, to obtain small amounts of bread.
Palestinians purchase these bread bundles at a symbolic price ranging from 2 to 3 shekels (with one dollar equal to 3.64 shekels) at distribution points, representing about 25–30% of their actual cost, according to an economic expert.
In early March, the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which lasted 42 days, came to an end. Israel has since refused to proceed to the second phase and end the war.
With the conclusion of the first phase, Israeli forces once again closed all crossings into Gaza to block the entry of humanitarian aid, in a move aimed at using starvation as a tool to pressure Hamas into accepting its demands.
In scenes reflecting a real food crisis in Gaza, residents crowd together for long hours outside the few functioning bakeries to obtain low-cost bread.
According to World Bank data, the war, described as genocidal and lasting nearly 16 months, has pushed all Palestinians into poverty. Government and human rights officials say that the overwhelming majority now depend on aid.
Throughout the months of the war, Gaza’s residents have suffered from famine due to severe restrictions on aid entry imposed by Israel, forcing them to resort to alternatives such as animal feed and wild plants while reducing both the number and size of daily meals.
