UN experts highlight 'systemic starvation,' destruction in Gaza as humanitarian crisis deepens

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - UN special rapporteur on the rights to food, Michael Fakhri, on Friday emphasized Israel's systemic nature of starvation in Gaza, arguing that it is not merely a humanitarian issue but a consequence of decades of choices.

"Starvation doesn't happen overnight. It doesn't happen just in war. Starvation is the result of choices that are made over decades," Fakhri said at a joint news conference with special rapporteur on the rights to water Pedro Arrojo-Agudo and special rapporteur on the rights to housing Balakrishnan Rajagopal.

Fakhri noted that Israel's actions have led to the starvation of 2.3 million Palestinians, calling it an "unprecedented" and "systematic" assault on their rights.

"How was Israel able to starve 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza so quickly?" he asked, adding that by December 2023, "everyone in Gaza was hungry."

Citing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's annexation plan announced in the UN General Assembly in September 2023, Fakhri said: "Israel has not denied or provided a substantive argument against the claim that me and many of my colleagues have made, that what they are doing is starvation and engaging in genocide."

He highlighted the role of political economy in Gaza genocide, citing "land grabs, occupation, and the commodification of seeds."

Fakhri further expressed concern over the lack of accountability, stating that it is essential to hold countries and corporations responsible.

"It's not just bad people doing bad things. How are those individuals able to do this? This is a systemic issue.We should be able to hold countries and corporations accountable," he added.

UN special rapporteur on water, Arrojo-Agudo, noted that hunger and destruction of homes are strategies in warfare, stating that "the use of water as a silent weapon, a silent bomb" is a strategy particularly used in Gaza.

He stressed that ignoring international law in essential areas threatens the very existence of the United Nations.

UN special rapporteur on housing Rajagopal described the devastation in Gaza as "a biblical, unprecedented form of reign of destruction," comparing it to the most destructive conflicts in modern history.

He questioned the military objectives behind such destruction, stating, "if truly what's going on in Gaza is a war, the purpose of war is victory. But what is the metric of victory here? I've been unable to understand, given the scale of this destruction."

Rajagopal concluded that rebuilding Gaza could take "about 80 years," given the extent of the damage and ongoing occupation.