- ‘We’ve never seen a starvation campaign implemented so quickly and so completely. The speed is incredibly unique to Israel,’ Fakhri tells Anadolu

GENEVA

Israel is inflicting horrors of unprecedented magnitude on Palestinians in Gaza, subjecting them to one of history’s gravest starvation campaigns, UN expert Michael Fakhri has warned, calling for the urgent use of the UN General Assembly’s authority to intervene.

“We’re at the most horrific stage of Israel’s starvation campaign. We’re entering degrees of horror that we’ve never been able to imagine,” Fakhri, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food, told Anadolu.

“The rate of people now dying from hunger, malnutrition and disease – because their immune system is so weak – is increasing more and more quickly.”

When asked if he considers the current situation one of the gravest starvation crises globally, Fakhri responded unequivocally: “Undoubtedly … We’ve never seen a starvation campaign implemented so quickly and so completely. The speed is incredibly unique to Israel ... and it’s spreading across the entire Gaza Strip, to 2.3 million people.”

There is “no doubt” that Israel bears responsibility for this starvation crisis, he asserted.

The UN expert also pointed out that Israel’s blockade of Gaza has been in force for a quarter of a century, with half the population food insecure and around 80% dependent on humanitarian aid since before October 2023.

Israel has stopped all aid supplies to Gaza for months on end since launching its ongoing genocidal war on the enclave, which has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians and wounded tens of thousands more, mostly women and children.

From March to late May, Israel did not let in a single delivery of food, water, or medicine. At least 101 Palestinians – 80 of them children – have died of malnutrition since October 2023, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

On Tuesday, the authority reported 15 Palestinians, among them four more children, had died of starvation and malnutrition over the past day, indicating the growing severity of the hunger crisis manufactured by Israel.

Palestinians trying to access the limited aid allowed in are facing a separate horror at distribution sites controlled by the controversial Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

According to UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini, more than 1,000 starving Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces while attempting to access food since late May.

Israel’s aim is ‘destruction of Gaza’s food system’

Independent UN experts, including Fakhri, officially recognized famine conditions in Gaza as early as June 2024, citing first-hand testimony and early evidence of severe hunger.

However, the UN has yet to officially declare famine in Gaza, a decision rooted in technical details that is garnering increasing criticism.

Fakhri asserted that the criteria should not rely solely on death tolls or technical measures. Humanitarian agencies often wait for comprehensive data, but he argued that the human rights approach demands immediate recognition and action.

“We will call it a famine when we see the first child die from malnutrition and hunger,” he declared. “We don’t have to wait for the second child to die. We don’t have to wait for there to be enough data."

Fakhri further slammed Israel’s “horrific” approach towards humanitarian aid, accusing it of actively sidelining the UN and systematically dismantling Gaza’s own food-producing infrastructure.

“It’s not just an issue of humanitarian aid. It is the destruction of the food system,” he explained. “It’s destroyed farmland, it’s poisoned soil, it’s destroyed the fishers, their boats.”

Call for global action: Peacekeepers, sanctions, justice

Given the UN Security Council’s frequent deadlock, largely due to the veto power used by permanent members like the US, Fakhri urged governments to leverage the UN General Assembly’s authority to intervene.

“The General Assembly has the authority to call upon peacekeepers to accompany humanitarian convoys to enter into Gaza,” he explained.

“That’s what needs to happen. The majority of the governments of the world want to do this.”

He stressed that solving the current crisis requires swift action independent of Israeli approval. “We can’t wait for Israel’s permission,” he insisted.

Fakhri also urged nations to enforce arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Regional economic pressure must also increase significantly, he said, arguing: “Countries in the region, especially Arab countries, must impose real, broad-ranging sanctions to put pressure on Israel to adhere to international law.”

Despite governmental inaction, Fakhri acknowledged growing activism and pressure from civil society globally, noting increased engagement through flotillas, demonstrations, and global marches.

“They’re putting real pressure on their governments, and they should continue putting pressure on their governments, because it’s working,” he said.

He warned of the long-term impact of the Israeli starvation campaign targeting Palestinians.

“The effects of … Israel’s starvation campaign will be felt by the Palestinian people for generations to come,” he said, citing new research that indicates starvation trauma can even alter how genes are transmitted.

Despite the bleak situation, Fakhri believes the tools to stop Israel’s atrocities are available: “The world can end Israel’s starvation campaign today, and we know how: One, they must stop sending weapons and money to Israel, (and) countries that have economic agreements with Israel must impose sanctions.”