(Washington DC, 1/8/2024) United Voices, a key advocate for political empowerment and justice in Washington DC, aligns with B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, in denouncing the inhumane starvation policy of Israel’s far-right government against the people of Gaza.

B’Tselem’s reports reveal the grim reality that the starvation in Gaza stems directly from an official Israeli policy, not as an incidental consequence of conflict. This policy has plunged approximately 2.2 million residents into severe hunger, with many routinely deprived of meals.

The harrowing scenes in Gaza of children begging for food, extensive lines for insufficient aid, and the desperate rush for supplies from aid trucks underscore a crisis that verges on famine, a situation that worsens by the day despite the clear breach of international humanitarian norms.

United Voices underscores that allowing food into Gaza is not optional but a legal obligation. “Starvation of civilians as a method of conflict is strictly forbidden under international humanitarian law,” the organization states, calling for an immediate policy reversal.

The organization has also voiced concern over the rising death toll in Gaza, with more than 23,000 people, mostly women and children, including UN workers, journalists, and medical staff, having lost their lives. An estimated 90,000 people, around 4% of Gaza’s population, are reported as dead, injured, or missing, with daily injuries leading to over 10 children losing limbs.

United Voices condemns the lack of action against the ongoing starvation policy in Gaza, stating, “The appalling images of starving women and children in Gaza will forever stand as a testament to this grave injustice against humanity.” The organization urges immediate international intervention to halt this violation of human rights and restore dignity and basic provisions to the people of Gaza.