Watan-On Thursday, peace advocates and military veterans in the United States launched a 40-day hunger strike in front of the U.S. Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, in solidarity with Gaza.
This comes as public outrage continues across the U.S. over Israel’s ongoing prevention of humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, placing over two million Palestinian civilians, especially women and children, at risk of starvation.
Mike Ferner, one of the strike organizers and former president of Veterans for Peace, said over 600 individuals from across the country have pledged to participate in the hunger strike in solidarity with Gaza.
“We have two goals: first, to demand clear and comprehensive humanitarian aid under UN supervision, and second, to halt U.S. arms shipments to Israel in order to stop the genocide,” said Ferner.
He highlighted that Palestinians in Gaza survive on less than 250 calories per day, which is why the strikers will limit their intake to no more than 250 calories per day for the duration of the 40-day action.
Phil Tottenham, a former U.S. Marine from Ohio, said his participation aimed to highlight that starving innocent people in Gaza is a war crime. He noted that their hunger strike pales in comparison to what Palestinians have endured for months, being starved and displaced by Israeli forces.
Diana Oestreich, a former military medic during the Gulf War and now an author, stated:“As a veteran, I believe in working for peace. By standing here today, we hope to create a world with less violence and where more children can survive.”
She added:“That’s why I’m joining the hunger strike—to demand food for all Gaza’s children and that the UN delivers urgent aid to Gaza.”
According to the United Nations, Israel’s deliberate starvation strategy, combined with the closure of Gaza’s border crossings, is pushing 2.4 million Palestinians toward famine, especially through restricted access to food and aid.
Backed by unconditional U.S. support, Israel has carried out a genocidal war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 177,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, the majority of them women and children, and displacing hundreds of thousands, with over 11,000 missing.
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