The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warns that Israel’s expanded military operations in Gaza City will cause mass civilian deaths and intensify famine amid the collapse of humanitarian access. Civilians already weakened by hunger and repeated displacements cannot withstand further bombardment.
Gaza: Israel’s military assault on famine-stricken Gaza City will lead to countless deaths
The spread of famine in Gaza City is compounded by growing needs caused by Israel’s systematic blocking of humanitarian aid. NRC and countless other aid groups have been blocked from bringing in any aid since March. Families are living under bombardment, while being intentionally deprived of the essentials needed for survival — food, clean water, medicine, and shelter — which sit waiting to enter mere kilometres away.
“Engineered scarcity has created a man-made famine. The people of Gaza are not only being bombed and displaced, but they are also being starved,” said Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council. “In Syria, the Security Council created a way for aid to reach besieged communities. In Gaza, under occupation, Israel has a duty to allow relief but aid remains blocked. States must use their political and diplomatic weight to break the obstruction and get aid to civilians. Gaza’s children go without food or safety and their mothers ask which will come first, bombardment or starvation.”
Israel must abandon its intensified assault in northern Gaza, immediately allow a surge of all relief items, and allow all aid groups working in Gaza to reach civilians wherever they are, including Gaza and North Gaza governorates.
“People are exhausted and fearful, caught between staying in Gaza City and fleeing south. Both choices are terrifying, and no one knows what to do,” said Salma Altaweel, NRC’s Northern Gaza office manager.
An estimated 86.3 per cent of Gaza falls within Israeli-designated militarised zones, areas under relocation directives or both. Displacement sites are at breaking point, forcing families into unsafe and undignified conditions.
While Israel has permitted the entry of limited quantities of commercial goods into Gaza in recent weeks, this is far from sufficient to reverse the spread of famine.
“There will be a damning historical verdict on global leaders who confine themselves to express ‘concern’ as civilians in Gaza are bombarded, displaced, and starved,” Egeland continued. “An immediate ceasefire is the only way to stop the killing, secure the release of all hostages, and allow the massive humanitarian response needed to save lives.”
Notes to Editors:
-
On 22 August, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed that there is a famine in Gaza City and warned that without immediate action famine could spread to other parts of the Gaza Strip.
-
The NRC-led Shelter Cluster estimates that 1.4 million people require emergency shelter items and 1.45 million need essential household items. More than one million tarpaulins and sealing-off kits, 86,000 tents and about five million non-food items have been procured or in-process for delivery to Gaza. Ongoing restrictions on INGOs and UNRWA continue to block shelter deliveries, with critical materials denied entry even after approval. Following the announcement by the Israeli authorities that the ban on the entry of shelter supplies would be lifted, humanitarian agencies continue to face major challenges, including in relation to registration.
-
According to OCHA, Israel began allowing limited amounts of commercial goods into Gaza on 4 August.
-
According to the OCHA, an estimated 86.3 per cent of Gaza falls within Israeli-designated militarised zones, areas under relocation directives or both.
-
Israel continues to obstruct the operations of international NGOs by rejecting requests to bring in lifesaving aid to Gaza and requiring organisations to submit to new registration rules, under which registration can be denied on the basis of vague and politicised criteria, such as alleged “delegitimisation” of the state of Israel.
Multimedia content:
-
Photos and videos from Gaza can be downloaded for free use here.
For information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
-
NRC global media hotline: media@nrc.no, +47 905 62 329