Palestinian PM Declares Gaza a Famine Zone: Israel Accused of Deliberate Humanitarian Catastrophe
In a stark address from Ramallah, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa calls Gaza a "famine zone" and urges urgent international intervention, warning that Israel’s blockade amounts to using starvation as a weapon of war. 🟢 Meta Description (SEO): Palestinian PM Mohammad Mustafa declares Gaza a famine zone, blaming Israel for a deliberate humanitarian crisis. He urges UN action and calls for immediate aid access to prevent mass starvation amid ongoing Israeli siege.
Watan-Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa declared Gaza a “famine zone” during a press conference held in Ramallah on Wednesday, commenting on the worsening humanitarian conditions in the territory.
Mustafa stated:“Documented reports from international and UN institutions, field indicators, visible signs of hunger and thirst, daily images of emaciated children’s bodies, and the cries of pain echoing from displaced persons’ tents and rubble—these all confirm that Gaza has now become a famine zone.”
He held Israel, the occupying power, fully responsible for what he called a deliberate humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Mustafa urged the international community to implement UN resolutions prohibiting the use of starvation as a weapon of war against civilians.
He appealed to the UN Security Council and the Secretary-General to immediately invoke Article 99 of the UN Charter. He also called on all UN member states to act swiftly under international humanitarian law to recognize the famine, lift the blockade, ensure the delivery of aid, and activate international accountability mechanisms.
The Prime Minister urged the entire UN system to recognize Gaza officially as a famine zone and to intervene urgently.
“We will continue to do everything in our power to resist this aggression and famine against our people, working tirelessly with the international community to save lives and pursue recovery and reconstruction,” Mustafa said.
He condemned the international silence, adding:“Do not let Gaza’s besieged children die of hunger. Do not allow food and water to become tools of war.”
Speaking from the government’s emergency operations room for Gaza, which includes over 30 Palestinian and international humanitarian institutions, Mustafa explained that a coordination team in Ramallah works closely via video link with teams on the ground inside Gaza. These teams have been working tirelessly over the past months to deliver aid, establish shelters, reopen key roads, and restore basic services.
He called on the entire UN system—particularly the World Food Programme, FAO, WHO, UNICEF, and the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) partners—to urgently activate mechanisms and treat Gaza as a famine zone, enabling emergency aid to flow freely.
Gaza Enters Advanced Famine Stage Amid Blockade, Mustafa Calls It a Humanitarian Crime
Mustafa also demanded protection for UNRWA’s legal mandate, urging support for its programs and operations. He stressed:“This famine is not a natural disaster—it is a deliberate humanitarian crime. Silence in the face of it is complicity. The time to act is now.”
In recent days, warnings about an imminent famine in Gaza have intensified. The government media office in Gaza announced that the territory has entered an “advanced stage of famine” due to the ongoing Israeli blockade and the closure of all crossings since March 2.
Office director Ismail Al-Thawabta said Israel has prevented the entry of food and humanitarian aid for two months.
“The crime of closing crossings, the unjust blockade, food shortages, flour scarcity, and forced closure of bakeries signal a complete collapse of Gaza’s food security system,” he warned, placing the global community before a true ethical and legal test.
