News / Palestine

Euro-Med: Israel destroyed 75% of Gaza's farmlands, uses starvation as weapon

Sunday, 23 June 2024 11:50 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 24 June 2024 3:21 AM ]

This file photo shows Palestinian farmers working in a field east of Deir al-Balah, in the Gaza Strip, on November 18, 2023. (Photo by AFP)

An international human rights organization says Israel has rendered over 75 percent of farmlands in Gaza unusable either by isolating them to annex those lands to its so-called buffer zone, or by bulldozing them.

Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor made the comment in a Sundy report, adding that the regime's forces seek to destroy Gaza’s food basket of vegetables, fruits and meat, in addition to destroying its local food production system.

The organization noted that "in addition to destruction of all components of local food production," Israel is also preventing the entry of food supplies and humanitarian aid in order to "perpetuate famine in the Gaza Strip and use starvation as a weapon of war as part of its ongoing crime of genocide, which continues for the ninth month in a row."

Euro-Med added that its teams have documented evidence of the occupation army intentionally killing farmers who were either working or attempting to access their lands and farms.

In addition, Euro-Med said it has also documented extensive destruction of farms, greenhouses, water wells and tanks, and agricultural equipment by the regime's forces.

Israel’s starvation scheme puts Gaza children at risk of death

Over 3,500 children are at risk of starving to death due to the extreme shortage of milk, nutritional supplements, vaccines and children’s food.

Euro-Med urged the international community "to ensure the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, including essential food and non-food items, in order to address the territory's health and environmental disaster in an immediate, safe and effective manner."

The organization's report came after the Gaza media office decried the use of starvation as a tool by the United States and Israel to achieve their political goals in Gaza despite the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the besieged territory.

“We condemn the inhumane crime of starvation used by the occupation and the American administration in a gruesome manner to achieve political goals,” it said in a statement last Monday.

US, Israel using starvation to achieve political goals in Gaza: Media office

The Gaza media office called on the international community to condemn this heinous crime against people of Gaza.

According to the statement, thousands of sick and wounded people have no access to food or medicine amid the continued closure of Gaza's crossings by Israeli forces.

"The situation in the Gaza Strip is becoming increasingly catastrophic and difficult, with the humanitarian crisis significantly worsening, especially for children, the sick, and the wounded who lack food and treatment."

Earlier, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, had said in a separate statement that more than 50,000 children in Gaza require immediate medical treatment for acute malnutrition.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir