Specter of famine looms over Gaza amid ongoing Israeli blockade

By Anadolu staff

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - The specter of famine has re-emerged in the Gaza Strip as Israel continues to keep the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings closed, the Gaza media office warned on Friday.

“The specter of famine threatens the Gaza Strip and northern governorates again as Israel keeps the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings closed,” the office said in a statement.

“The food security crisis is also worsening in the central and southern governorates of the enclave, especially after tens of thousands were displaced from Rafah city following the Israeli military operation on May 6,” it added.

The statement called for the “withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the Rafah crossing amid the escalating humanitarian catastrophe” in the Gaza Strip.

"In discussions about piers, we emphasize that land crossings are more effective for delivering aid to the Strip," the statement continued.

Gazans are suffering from severe shortages of food and vegetables due to Israel's closure of the Rafah crossing for the 11th consecutive day and the Kerem Shalom crossing for the 13th consecutive day, pushing the region towards famine, according to warnings from international humanitarian organizations.

Israel continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the enclave.

More than 35,300 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 79,200 others injured since last October following a Hamas attack.

More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul