In Gaza, where starvation has become an everyday reality, the world is watching as the United States ties humanitarian aid to political negotiation. Rather than confronting Israel’s deliberate blockade, which has brought Gaza to the brink of famine, the newly appointed US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, chose instead to pressure Palestinians. In a statement posted on social media, he urged the Palestinian leadership to sign an agreement to allow aid to flow into the besieged territory—effectively shifting the responsibility away from the occupying power.

For over 18 months, Gaza has endured relentless bombardment, mass displacement, and a complete siege. Since early March, Israel has blocked humanitarian aid from entering the Strip, worsening an already catastrophic situation. International humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, clearly prohibits the use of starvation as a method of warfare. Yet, Israeli officials have openly acknowledged their intent to deny food, water, and fuel to the population of Gaza. Now, this unlawful strategy appears to be legitimised by Washington’s conditional diplomacy.

In the face of this man-made disaster, Palestinians are resorting to desperate measures to survive. Reports from the ground describe people consuming whatever they can find—evidence of the sheer depth of this humanitarian collapse. The international community must not allow access to food and medicine to become a tool of coercion. To do so is to be complicit in the suffering of an entire people.