As if bombing wasn’t enough, Israel’s military offensive in Gaza—and now Lebanon—isn’t just taking lives, it’s starving what’s left of them. According to Action Against Hunger, Israel is using hunger as a weapon by blocking food aid, turning Gaza into a dystopian food desert a year into this relentless war.
The numbers don’t lie—between 10% and 16% of children in Gaza are now malnourished, says Cristina Izquierdo of Action Against Hunger, and the situation keeps getting worse. The worst part? The food’s there—just locked out of reach by Israel’s blockade. Philippe Lazzarini from the UN warns that over 1.4 million people didn’t receive food last month. Maybe the Israeli military missed the memo: you can’t fight on an empty stomach.
While Gaza’s kids starve, Lebanon is facing its own nightmare. Jean-Raphaël Poitou, fresh from the frontlines, describes how food isn’t just scarce—it’s a battleground. With 550 dead in a single day and food prices skyrocketing (a kilo of tomatoes now costs as much as a decent dinner in Paris), starvation is becoming the weapon of choice. But don’t worry, the Israeli Defense Forces are making sure no one’s eating.
Agricultural land? Toast. 75% of Gaza’s farmland has been destroyed, and it’ll take 14 years to clean up the mess. For now, the people of Gaza are left to fight over canned food while their local farmers watch their fields turn to rubble.
And let’s not forget the prices—tomatoes that used to cost €0.36 per kilo now go for an eye-watering €71.61 in northern Gaza. Inflation? More like starvation on a luxury scale. Israel’s latest tactic: if you can’t bomb them out, just starve them into submission. And hey, if a few kids die along the way, well, who’s counting?
Gaza’s Invisible Plight
Cristina Anguera from Action Against Hunger reminds us that while the news cycle moves on, the people of Gaza can’t. They’ve been erased from the headlines, but the hunger, desperation, and human suffering remain, waiting for the world to stop looking the other way.