Palestinians starve as Israel continues full ban on humanitarian aid

During the recent two-month ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Huda Helles briefly enjoyed a respite. After her home on Al-Wihda Street in downtown Gaza City was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in 2023, she lived with her family of eight in makeshift tents. The temporary truce allowed her to briefly feel a sense of normalcy amidst the chaos.

However, on March 2nd, Israel closed the border, halting all humanitarian aid, food, and supplies from entering Gaza, plunging her life back into hardship. The renewed blockade has once again pushed the enclave to the brink of famine. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that Israel's ban on aid entering has lasted for nearly a month, during which no aid has entered Gaza. All requests for access coordinated by humanitarian agencies with Israeli authorities have been denied.

Huda recalls that after the blockade was implemented, shops were emptied within hours, and what remained was exorbitantly expensive. Even charities that once provided a variety of meals are now only able to offer small portions of rice at Iftar. Due to prolonged consumption of only rice, Huda suffers from severe stomach pain and cramps, leaving her sleepless. Two weeks ago, she was diagnosed with a stomach infection. "The doctor advised me to eat healthy food and avoid canned goods," she said. "But there is nothing to eat except for low-quality charity distributions. I can only subsist on bread and cheese as much as possible."

Huda's mother, Manal, 52, also needs to eat healthy food. Earlier this month, she suffered a heart attack and elevated blood pressure. Huda believes that the primary reason for her mother's deteriorating health is the harsh conditions of living in a tent, including severe lack of food and clean drinking water. "During Ramadan, my mother used to prepare lavish meals of chicken, meat, and vegetables, meticulously preparing each dish for the family," Huda recalls. "Now, she watches us helplessly, telling us to persevere, hoping that the hunger will not last long."

Ahmed Ramda, 38, is also struggling to find food to feed his four children. He believes that the current blockade is worse than last year. "We no longer have the energy to flee from one place to another, fetch water, or even recover from our wounds due to lack of food and medical care," he said. "They want us to be homeless and dependent on limited humanitarian aid, but we only want the borders to open so that we can work, earn a living, and live a peaceful life." His house was also destroyed, his father was killed, and many other family members were injured. Now, Ramda and his family live in a tent on Omar Al-Mukhtar Street in downtown Gaza City.

Mazen Marouf, 48, is a farmer struggling to survive with his family of 11. During the ceasefire, he and his six sons planted tomatoes and onions in their farmland in Beit Lahia, hoping to feed themselves and earn a living from the crops. But their plans were shattered when Israel broke the ceasefire on March 18. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stated that at least 67.6% of farmland in the northern Gaza Strip has been destroyed by Israel. "We only eat when charities distribute food or when others share their canned goods," Marouf explained. "My family and I are sick and suffering from malnutrition. We do not want to depend on humanitarian aid. We want the war to stop now and to live in peace and dignity."