Israel's War on Gaza: A Campaign of Starvation and Desperation
The conflict in Gaza has been escalating for years, but a disturbing trend has emerged: the use of food and aid as a weapon of war. The numbers are staggering - from just four deaths attributed to starvation in 2023 to 422 deaths in 2025, a 760% increase in just one year.
According to UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Michael Fakhri, the global standard for famine analysis was "conservative" when it came to Gaza. The reality on the ground was "unequivocal," with children dying and entire communities under attack. Fakhri notes that the crisis met the strict technical criteria for famine, but was delayed by political bureaucracy.
The Health Ministry in Gaza reported that 40.63% of victims were elderly, while 34.74% were children. In August 2025 alone, cases among children under five spiked from 2,754 to 14,383. This is a devastating trend that highlights the dire situation in Gaza.
But how did Israel manage to create this crisis? According to Suleiman Basharat, a Palestinian commentator and researcher on Israeli affairs, it all started with the blockade of Gaza imposed by Israel in 2007. The goal was "to put the Palestinians on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger." This doctrine was summarized by Dov Weisglass, an adviser to the Israeli prime minister, who said that the war marked a shift from "management" to "elimination."
Senior Israeli ministers made their intentions clear at the start of the genocidal war on Gaza. Former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant declared a complete siege against "human animals," while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich argued that blocking aid was "justified and moral." These statements were quickly reinforced by Israel's actions, which included ramping up this policy.
The result was a "calorie collapse" - an average of just 19 trucks carrying aid and food were allowed into Gaza each day, a 96% reduction from the 500 trucks needed to sustain the population. Water availability plummeted from 84 liters per person to just 3 liters during the siege. Israel also systematically destroyed infrastructure for agricultural production, including 2,500 chicken farms that killed 36 million birds.
Analysts say that this campaign was not just about military leverage, but also about creating an "anti-resistance" sentiment in Gaza. According to Basharat, the goal is to break the Palestinian resistance by affecting the social base that embraces it. Israeli officials have cloaked their policies in misleading terms, such as encouraging "voluntary migration." However, this is a cynical euphemism for forced displacement.
The result is a generation of Palestinians facing decades of physical and political scars, with the destruction of Gaza's agricultural backbone leaving the Strip entirely dependent on external aid. The numbers are staggering - 475 officially recorded deaths, but many more who have not been documented.
As Alice Rothchild, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, notes, "It's all part of this attempt to destroy Gaza." The future of Gaza is defined by hunger and desperation, with Israel maintaining permanent control over the Strip.
The conflict in Gaza has been escalating for years, but a disturbing trend has emerged: the use of food and aid as a weapon of war. The numbers are staggering - from just four deaths attributed to starvation in 2023 to 422 deaths in 2025, a 760% increase in just one year.
According to UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Michael Fakhri, the global standard for famine analysis was "conservative" when it came to Gaza. The reality on the ground was "unequivocal," with children dying and entire communities under attack. Fakhri notes that the crisis met the strict technical criteria for famine, but was delayed by political bureaucracy.
The Health Ministry in Gaza reported that 40.63% of victims were elderly, while 34.74% were children. In August 2025 alone, cases among children under five spiked from 2,754 to 14,383. This is a devastating trend that highlights the dire situation in Gaza.
But how did Israel manage to create this crisis? According to Suleiman Basharat, a Palestinian commentator and researcher on Israeli affairs, it all started with the blockade of Gaza imposed by Israel in 2007. The goal was "to put the Palestinians on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger." This doctrine was summarized by Dov Weisglass, an adviser to the Israeli prime minister, who said that the war marked a shift from "management" to "elimination."
Senior Israeli ministers made their intentions clear at the start of the genocidal war on Gaza. Former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant declared a complete siege against "human animals," while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich argued that blocking aid was "justified and moral." These statements were quickly reinforced by Israel's actions, which included ramping up this policy.
The result was a "calorie collapse" - an average of just 19 trucks carrying aid and food were allowed into Gaza each day, a 96% reduction from the 500 trucks needed to sustain the population. Water availability plummeted from 84 liters per person to just 3 liters during the siege. Israel also systematically destroyed infrastructure for agricultural production, including 2,500 chicken farms that killed 36 million birds.
Analysts say that this campaign was not just about military leverage, but also about creating an "anti-resistance" sentiment in Gaza. According to Basharat, the goal is to break the Palestinian resistance by affecting the social base that embraces it. Israeli officials have cloaked their policies in misleading terms, such as encouraging "voluntary migration." However, this is a cynical euphemism for forced displacement.
The result is a generation of Palestinians facing decades of physical and political scars, with the destruction of Gaza's agricultural backbone leaving the Strip entirely dependent on external aid. The numbers are staggering - 475 officially recorded deaths, but many more who have not been documented.
As Alice Rothchild, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, notes, "It's all part of this attempt to destroy Gaza." The future of Gaza is defined by hunger and desperation, with Israel maintaining permanent control over the Strip.
. 760% increase in starvation deaths is just insane! Israel's blockade was meant to "put Palestinians on a diet" - that's not even a joke anymore 
. We need to raise our voices for those innocent lives lost. Aid truck numbers are like, what's the point of even having trucks if they're just going to stop? 
Forced displacement is exactly what's happening here.
. We need a ceasefire and real aid NOW. Gaza deserves better than this 
.
... like what's the point of having a blockade if u're just gonna let everyone starve? 760% increase in deaths due to starvation in one year?! that's not a strategy, that's straight up genocide 
And what about all the innocent civilians who are paying the price for the Israeli government's policies? 
We need to speak out against this and demand some accountability from our leaders. 
This is a wake-up call for all of us to take action and make sure that no more people have to suffer like this. 
. the numbers are insane 760% increase in just one year thats not a crisis its a disaster...
It's like they're using aid as a weapon, and it's just heartbreaking to see all those innocent people suffering. I don't think we should blame one side or the other, but more importantly, let's try to understand how this crisis happened. 
From what I've read, it all started with that blockade in 2007, and now look at where we are... 
It's like Israel is playing a really long game here, using food and water as a way to control the population. And it's not just about military leverage; it's also about creating an "anti-resistance" sentiment. 
I wish people on both sides could talk to each other more and find common ground. We need to find a way to support those in Gaza and make sure they have access to basic human rights. 
422 deaths from starvation in 2025? that's a war crime 
and what's with all these statements about "elimination" and "anti-resistance"? sounds like a bunch of propaganda 
. it's all part of this attempt to destroy Gaza, like Alice Rothchild said.
And the numbers are just wild - 760% increase in deaths from starvation in one year, and most of them are kids and elderly people who can't even fight back. It's heartbreaking.
like they're nothing but lab rats or something. no wonder they destroyed chicken farms and infrastructure, it's all about controlling the narrative and breaking the resistance. i'm so sad for the future of gaza if this continues...
i don't think it's fair to blame palestinians for everything, they're already under so much pressure 
and 19 trucks of aid per day? that's not food, that's just enough for some people to survive, but not all 
. Israel's actions are devastating and completely unacceptable.
. The fact that they're using aid as a weapon of war is just horrific. I think it's time someone took responsibility for this mess and actually tried to help the situation, not just use it to further their own interests 
.
That's some crazy math, right? But seriously, can't we just get together and find some food for these poor kids? 
"Elimination" of Palestinians sounds super friendly, doesn't it? 
It's crazy to think about what life must be like for them, especially the kids who have to grow up with no food security. Let's hope someone does something soon! 
that's like saying you're trying to starve someone and then pretending it's their fault because they can't eat anything. and what about the water? 3 liters per person? that's basically nothing