Lack of flour heightens famine risks in Gaza amid ongoing Israeli war, siege

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Amid the ongoing Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, Palestinians continue to face severe food shortages, particularly of flour, raising international alarm over the risk of impending famine.

On Wednesday, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said only seven of the 19 bakeries supported by humanitarian partners in Gaza remain operational. He said that Israel’s blockade is preventing the delivery of necessary materials, leaving most bakeries unable to operate.

Palestinians say they are experiencing a deliberate and systematic starvation policy by Israel due to its refusal of humanitarian aid entry into Gaza.

Throughout the course of the Israeli war on Gaza since October last year, several international and UN groups called on Israel to facilitate humanitarian aid entry into Gaza in order to avoid a famine.

An Anadolu correspondent visited an old-style bakery in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, where women bake bread for distribution to displaced families with the assistance of an international aid group.

Umm Al-Abed, a displaced woman working at the bakery, said they are providing bread for about 600 displaced families. However, she expressed concern that the bakery might have to close due to the shortage of flour as Israel continues to block aid shipments.

"If the flour runs out, we will face a food crisis, as bread is our primary food, and we can't do without it," she said.

In Gaza, many have been forced to use spoiled flour, often infested with weevils, due to the shortage.

Tahani Saad, 55, a mother of five, told Anadolu that flour is now scarce in the markets, with prices soaring. A 25-kilogram bag of flour currently costs 900 Shekels (approximately $250), she said.

"We are forced to use spoiled flour which may cause illnesses to us," Tahani Saad added.

Israel launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack last year, killing over 44,000 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 104,000.

The second year of the genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with figures and institutions labeling the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.

In a landmark move, the International Criminal Court on Thursday announced it had issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes in Palestinian territories, including Gaza.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar