What’s New
A global monitor warned on Tuesday that famine levels are expected in the next few weeks in Gaza due to Israel’s “near-total blockade” on food and humanitarian aid.
However, the latest assessment from the Famine Early Warning System Network was criticized by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jacob Lew, who called the heightened famine alert “irresponsible.”
Why It Matters
Northern Gaza has seen intense fighting and stringent aid restrictions during Israel’s 14-month conflict with Hamas militants. Under pressure from President Joe Biden, Israel at one point increased the flow of aid deliveries to the region.
The United Nations and aid organizations report that Israel has once again imposed severe restrictions on humanitarian aid. According to Oxfam, just nine U.N. trucks carrying food and water have managed to enter the region in the past two and a half months.
BASHAR TALEB/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images
Famine Early Warning System Network
The Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS Net) projects that without a shift in Israeli policy, deaths from starvation and related illnesses in northern Gaza could climb to as many as 15 per day between next month and March.
FEWS Net was established by the U.S. Agency for International Development in the 1980s to monitor and issue alerts about food crises worldwide.
Global standards define famine as a situation where mortality rates exceed two deaths per 10,000 people daily.
What To Know
Israel asserts that its recent operations in northern Gaza target Hamas militants who remain active in the region. Officials claim that most residents have fled to Gaza City, where aid deliveries are concentrated. However, some critics, including a former Israeli defense minister, have accused the government of engaging in ethnic cleansing near the Israeli border in Gaza’s northernmost areas.
The United States delivered unprecedented levels of military aid during the first year of the war. Simultaneously, the Biden administration pushed Israel to expand aid access across Gaza, cautioning that continued restrictions could lead to limits on U.S. military assistance. However, citing recent improvements by Israel, the administration has so far opted against implementing those restrictions.
U.S. military aid for Israel’s war in Gaza has become a politically divisive issue. While Republicans and some Democrats have fiercely opposed efforts to tie U.S. support to concerns about the plight of Palestinian civilians, others have criticized the Biden administration for not taking stronger action to pressure Israel on humanitarian issues. This hesitation has been cited as a factor in waning support for Democrats in last month’s elections.
What People Are Saying
Cindy McCain, the U.S. leader of the U.N. World Food Program, urged for intensified political pressure to ensure food aid reaches Palestinians in northern Gaza during a Dec. 15 interview on CBS’ Face the Nation.
“We need unfettered access. We need a ceasefire and we need it now,” McCain said. “We can’t..,sit by and just allow these people to starve to death.”
U.S. Ambassador Jacob Lew disputed the famine warning in a statement, saying it is being based on “outdated and inaccurate” information.
“We work day and night with the U.N. and our Israeli partners to meet humanitarian needs—which are great—and relying on inaccurate data is irresponsible,” Lew wrote.
What’s Next
Lew highlighted uncertainty about the number of the 65,000 people still in northern Gaza who may have fled in recent weeks, arguing that this undermines the findings.
However, FEWS Net maintains that its famine assessment remains valid even if the population has dwindled to as few as 10,000.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.