Israel Admits Palestinians In Gaza Could Face Starvation Within Weeks

Palestinians in Gaza may face starvation within weeks if aid is not allowed in soon, Israeli defence officials have admitted. Three military officers monitoring the situation in Gaza said many areas may soon run out of enough food to meet basic daily needs.

Most bakeries in Gaza have shut down, charity kitchens are closing, and the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) says it has nothing left to distribute. The officers said that unless the blockade is lifted urgently, the crisis will worsen, as per The New York Times.

For months, Israel has said that its blockade on food and fuel in Gaza does not seriously harm civilians. Since it takes time to restart aid deliveries, the officers believe urgent action is needed now to avoid a food crisis.

On Monday, a UN-supported group called the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said famine was imminent in Gaza. They warned that if Israel continued with more military attacks, "the vast majority of people in the Gaza Strip would not have access to food, water, shelter, and medicine."

Despite this, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the army would continue its operations "in full force to finish the job", saying "there will be no way we will stop the war."

"We can make a ceasefire for a certain period of time, but we're going to the end," he said.

Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for Israel's foreign ministry, said he could not give details from internal talks, adding the ministry was in daily contact with all relevant agencies and watching the situation closely.

Since March 2, Israel has blocked all humanitarian aid, including food, water, fuel, and medicine, from entering Gaza. This blockade has been described by the United Nations as "deliberate and unashamedly" imposing inhumane conditions on Palestinians, placing them at severe risk of famine.

The WFP reports that its meal distributions have dropped from one million to only 250,000 per day due to the blockade, leaving warehouses empty.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that rising malnutrition rates in Gaza may have lasting effects on an entire generation of children, with 11 per cent suffering from acute malnutrition in some areas.

Israel maintains that the blockade is necessary to prevent aid from reaching Hamas. UN officials argue that starving civilians cannot be justified.