Amnesty International has accused Israel of deliberately starving the population of Gaza, as humanitarian agencies and the United Nations continue to warn of worsening famine in the Palestinian territory.
In a report released on 18 August 2025, Amnesty claimed Israel has been enacting a “deliberate campaign of starvation” as part of broader policies that amount to crimes under international law.
According to Amnesty, the allegations are based on interviews conducted in recent weeks with 19 displaced Palestinians residing in three makeshift camps, along with testimonies from two medical professionals working in Gaza City.
The report asserts that Israeli authorities have “systematically destroyed the health, well-being and social fabric of Palestinian life.”
The organisation contends that these acts are part of a coordinated effort to “inflict on Palestinians in Gaza conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction,” referencing the crime of genocide under international law.
The Israeli military and foreign ministry have not yet issued a response to the report. However, Israel has repeatedly denied claims that it is deliberately starving civilians in Gaza. In April 2025, Israeli officials dismissed a separate Amnesty report as “blatant lies”.
UN and NGOs warn of famine and growing restrictions
The United Nations has consistently sounded the alarm over worsening food insecurity in Gaza. In March 2025, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a UN-backed initiative, concluded that northern Gaza was already experiencing famine-level conditions.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths stated in July 2025 that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza was “entirely man-made” and driven by “deliberate obstruction to humanitarian access”.
Several international NGOs have echoed these concerns. Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) and Save the Children have reported increasing rates of acute malnutrition among children, with some areas witnessing cases of wasting and stunting at emergency thresholds.
In a joint letter issued in early August, more than 20 humanitarian organisations criticised newly imposed Israeli regulations that significantly restrict the operations of foreign aid agencies in Gaza.
The rules, introduced by Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), require detailed security screening and limit logistical access, which NGOs argue is making aid delivery nearly impossible.
According to a report published by Human Rights Watch in July 2025, the volume of humanitarian aid entering Gaza remains “grossly insufficient” and is hampered by “a web of bureaucratic obstacles and political decisions that seem aimed at prolonging suffering rather than alleviating it.”
Israeli authorities dispute malnutrition claims
In contrast to these reports, Israeli authorities maintain that they are not obstructing aid. Last week, COGAT rejected allegations of widespread malnutrition in Gaza, challenging figures published by the Hamas-run health ministry.
In its report, COGAT claimed that hundreds of aid trucks were allowed to enter Gaza each week and pointed to what it described as a “manipulation of health statistics” by Hamas to influence international opinion.
Israeli officials also argue that Hamas has been diverting aid, including food and fuel, away from civilians and towards its military operations.
Allegations and legal context
Amnesty International’s report connects the current situation to long-standing policies, suggesting that actions taken over the past 22 months of war form part of a broader campaign of forced displacement and civilian targeting.
The group claims these policies meet the criteria for genocide under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
While the ICC has not issued formal charges in relation to the starvation claims, Prosecutor Karim Khan confirmed in June that investigations into alleged war crimes by both Israeli and Palestinian actors remain ongoing.
Earlier this year, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued provisional measures in a case brought by South Africa, requiring Israel to take “all possible steps” to prevent acts of genocide. These measures, while not constituting a judgment on guilt, reflect mounting international scrutiny.
The post Amnesty accuses Israel of ‘deliberate starvation policy’ in Gaza amid rising famine warnings appeared first on The Online Citizen.
