The siege on Gaza has evolved into an assault on life itself. For months, food, medicine, and fuel have been systematically denied to over two million Palestinians, as part of what many now describe as a deliberate campaign of starvation. The closure of all aid crossings since early March has plunged the population—half of whom are children—into a humanitarian catastrophe.

This policy is not the by-product of war, but a targeted strategy. The intention is clear: to break the will of a people by depriving them of the most basic means of survival. Over 65,000 now suffer from acute malnutrition, while hospitals—reduced to rubble—struggle to treat the growing number of the starving and sick. At least 57 people have died from hunger, and the toll continues to climb.

Meanwhile, international efforts to deliver aid have also come under attack. A humanitarian ship, sailing in international waters near Malta, was struck by Israeli drone fire at dawn on Friday. The vessel, carrying activists and supplies from Tunisia, caught fire after being hit by multiple strikes. Though no lives were lost, the message was chilling: no effort to break the siege will be tolerated, even outside Gaza’s shores.

What is happening in Gaza is not just a humanitarian crisis—it is a deliberate act of collective punishment. Starving an entire population is not only morally indefensible, it is a crime under international law. The world must no longer look away.