Gaza continues to endure severe food restrictions despite Israeli claims that the humanitarian crisis is easing. Critical supplies such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, fruit, and cooking gas remain barred from entering the besieged Strip, raising urgent concerns over deliberate starvation. Even after the limited reopening of crossings three weeks ago, no shipments of these essential items have reached the population, while the few trucks allowed in often fall short of basic needs or are looted amid chaos.

Salah Abdel Ati, head of the International Commission to Support Palestinian People’s Rights, described the restrictions as a calculated policy designed to manufacture famine. “Israel prevents the entry of meat, chicken, fruits, and vegetables, deepening the suffering of civilians,” he said, warning that the lack of these essentials is driving malnutrition and disease, particularly among children, women, the elderly, and pregnant women. The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has officially declared Gaza to be in famine, with conditions expected to worsen and spread further south in the coming weeks.

Economic analyst Hamed Jad explained that the ban is not about logistics or cost, but a systematic strategy to weaken the population. The denial of cooking gas forces families to resort to burning wood or scraps of paper, stripping them of dignity and safety, while life-saving medicines remain scarce. Since October 2023, the offensive has left tens of thousands dead, hundreds of thousands wounded or displaced, and a growing famine that continues to claim lives daily, with little relief in sight.