Food crisis in Gaza Strip is unconscionable: China Daily editorial

Pointing out that since Hamas-led fighters attacked Israel on Oct 7, high-ranking Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Energy Minister Israel Katz, have all made public statements admitting that Israel is deliberately depriving civilians in Gaza of food, water and fuel, as reflected in the operations of Israeli forces, Human Rights Watch last week accused the Israeli government of committing a war crime.

The United Nations is warning that the quantity of food reaching Palestinians in Gaza is just 10 percent of what is needed to feed the territory's inhabitants amid the Israeli military's near nonstop bombardment of the Palestinian enclave and its ground operations, which are worsening the humanitarian situation there with each passing day.

In a report published on Thursday, Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a partnership of aid organizations, including UN agencies and NGOs, said that the proportion of households in Gaza that are in hunger crisis, or suffering from high levels of acute food insecurity, is the largest ever recorded globally, and it warned that the entire 2.3 million population of Gaza faces the risk of famine.

On Friday, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution urging steps to allow "safe, unhindered, and expanded humanitarian access" to Gaza and to realize the "conditions for a sustainable cessation" of the fighting.

Although it fell short of calling for an immediate cease-fire, given it is the first resolution on Gaza to be passed by the UN Security Council, it should be taken as a crucial step to get urgently needed humanitarian aid into the territory.

With the humanitarian situation in Gaza becoming increasingly dire, and the Israeli military action indefensible, even the United States, Tel Aviv's staunchest supporter, has adjusted its attitude, albeit slightly. While still refusing to call for an immediate cease-fire, US officials have said they want and expect Israel to shift its military operations in Gaza to a lower-intensity phase. They have urged Israel to ensure that its military operations are precise and targeted so as to reduce civilian casualties.

Yet, this has not been enough to stop the Israeli military's onslaught on Gaza. On Sunday, one Israeli airstrike on the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip killed at least 70 Palestinians. There are now fears that the conflict is spilling over to other parts in the Middle East, with Yemeni Houthi militia intensifying their attacks on "Israel-linked" ships in the Red Sea. In response, the US is organizing an international coalition in the waters to try and protect shipping, which only adds more complexity to the crisis.

Friday's resolution called on the warring parties to "allow, facilitate and enable the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance" to civilians in Gaza and to "create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities."

To avert the looming catastrophe in Gaza and prevent the conflict from escalating further concerted efforts are needed by all parties to ensure the UNSC resolution is now implemented.