Last week, over 100 aid organizations sounded the alarm that their employees with families in Gaza are at risk of "wasting away" from starvation. The food is finished in Gaza. Everywhere.
The situation for our employees is completely impossible now, they are completely on their knees, they are starving and completely exhausted, says Jan Egeland.
Now, hunger is driving aid workers in Gaza to food distribution centers in the hope of getting food. But it is associated with danger to life.
Shot at food stations
Since May, food distribution in Gaza has been handled by the Israeli-American organization Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). According to the UN, more than 1,000 people have been killed and thousands injured in connection with GHF taking over the responsibility for food distribution.
It is as many who have died in the food queues in Gaza as there were civilians who died when Hamas attacked on October 7, says Jan Egeland.
According to the UN, Israeli military has fired at Palestinians who have gathered at GHF's food stations and reports from hospitals in Gaza testify to hundreds of bodies with gunshot wounds that have arrived from the food queues.
At the same time, thousands of trucks with food and other necessities are ready in Egypt and Jordan. But Israel does not let that aid in. The starvation in Gaza is a deliberate strategy from Israel's side, Jan Egeland believes.
The Israeli war machine denies us the opportunity to help starving children in Gaza.
Gross war crimes
According to Egeland, starvation is just one of many crimes that Israel has subjected Gaza's population to since the outbreak of war.
The list of war crimes is endless. I do not know any international law experts who do not see this as gross war crimes. The Israeli leaders who give orders for this must be held accountable.
He believes that the international community must put more pressure on Israel and that the borders to Gaza must be opened and handled internationally so that food can get in.
There are still many children left alive.
