Bret Stephens’s recent New York Times column, “No, Israel Is Not Committing a Genocide in Gaza,” attempts to dispel this inflammatory charge against the Jewish state. His argument is that those who make this claim must answer one fundamental question: why, after 22 months, is even Hamas’s purported death toll so low?
However, that already feels like ancient history. The news cycle has shifted to a new (but familiar) claim, that the Jewish state is starving Gaza. Haviv Rattig Gur, the widely respected Middle East analyst, indicated a fundamental problem: Gaza is likely approaching a serious hunger crisis, but this charge has been lodged for the past year and a half; will Israelis believe it?
To improve the situation, the Israel Defense Forces has begun temporary pauses in fighting, secured safe corridors, and permitted other countries to airdrop aid. These actions are working to alleviate the food shortage but the question of culpability still remains.
Alex Berenson wrote on his Substack that Israel faces the same problem that America did upon the invasion of Iraq in 2002, best summed up as “You break it, you own it.” Since Israel has already taken military control of the region, it is responsible for the fate of the Gazan citizens. But is that the case?
Starvation as a fighting tactic is considered a war crime according to the Geneva Convention. Despite that, famine is a common result of war. The Nigerian civil war, Khmer forced labor camps in Cambodia, the civil war in Mozambique, and the conflicts in Sudan, specifically Darfur, are just a portion of the modern-day examples. The blockades and attacks on food infrastructure in Yemen continue to cause widespread famine, although they draw much less attention.
So, why is the situation in Gaza cause for singular worldwide condemnation?
Most cite the issue of an “open-air prison” as the fundamental difference. Israel’s blockade surrounding Gaza makes the Jewish state responsible for the outbreak of famine in the region. But Egypt is also blockading Gaza to the south, halting nearly all refugee and aid flow. So, in this regard, Israel is not solely responsible for the issue.
A major difference between the Israel/Gaza conflict and other wars is that the population suffering from a food crisis initiated the confrontation. Hamas, the elected governing body and terrorist entity, along with a sizable number of civilians, committed the atrocities on Oct. 7. Since the onset of the war, the civilian population has celebrated, detained, and forsaken the hostages in question. To date, no released hostage has publicly reported being helped by a Gazan.
Despite continued hostilities, Israel facilitated the establishment of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). This U.S.-based organization is an attempt to bypass Hamas and distribute aid directly to Gaza’s citizens. Prior to this, both the terrorist entity and other local clans plagued the region by stealing, squandering and selling aid at exorbitant prices.
According to Reuters, there is no evidence of systematic aid theft by Hamas. The USAID study that the article is based on reports that of the 156 incidents of theft and loss, Hamas derived no benefit from the American supplies. But the study itself acknowledges that supplies may have inadvertently reached Hamas while the aid workers describe a “mafia-like” environment due to the terrorist organization.
The GHF was created to alleviate these very issues. Granted this initiative is not without challenges. People have died due to the complex conditions at the distribution sites. But these tragedies were caused by Hamas themselves, shooting the civilians who partook in the offerings and subsequently causing riots. Despite all of this, the GHF has delivered 98 million meals to those in need. If the world community would back the initiative, it stands to bring a swift end to the war by starving Hamas of its primary source of income.
The United Nations itself has exacerbated the food shortage. Honest Reporting claims there are over 950 trucks in Gaza that the UN refused to deliver through the GHF. The aid is spoiling over political games. Some claim it’s because the UNRWA refuses to work with the IDF, while others claim they actually want the supplies to reach Hamas. Whatever the reason, the result is clear: it’s not helping those in need.
Israel is not using starvation as a war tactic. On the contrary, the Jewish State is going above and beyond its duty to facilitate aid to a hostile neighbor – all while remaining committed to its war goals of defeating Hamas and rescuing the hostages. What’s clear is that the facts on the ground paint a different picture than the incessant media accusations. The real question is: when will the world finally look?
