The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) reiterates its warning about a deteriorating hunger crisis among civilians in the Gaza Strip as Israel continues to close crossings for more than 30 days, blocking the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip, including flour and foodstuffs. This has forced all bakeries operating across the Gaza Strip to shut down, posing an imminent famine that threatens the lives of 2 million Palestinians relying on food aid.

PCHR believes that the ongoing siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, closure of crossings and cutoff all types of goods amid the ongoing genocide Israel has been committing for 17 months now against the Palestinian civilians alongside the issuance of forced displacement orders for thousands of civilians and escalation of bombings on gatherings, houses and tents on top of their residents in all aim to inflict life conditions on the Palestinian population intended to destroy them mentally and physically. All these acts and measures render the Gaza Strip unlivable forcing the population to flee and thereby achieving Israel’s long-awaited goal to forcibly displace Gaza’s residents. 

According to PCHR’s follow-up, most essential food supplies have run out of Gaza Strip’s markets, including flour, sugar, cooking oil, rice, fruits and vegetables in addition to meat, chicken and fish that were depleted a month ago.  Meanwhile, prices of limited remaining goods have increased several times as people cannot afford to meet their families’ minimum needs of essential foodstuffs.

‘Abdel Naser al-‘Ajrami, Head of the Gaza´s Bakeries Association, said to PCHR’s field researcher that all bakeries across the Gaza Strip have been forced to shut down since 01 April 2025 due to the depletion of flour, cooking gas and fuel stocks.  The bakeries had been informed by the World Food Programme (WFP), which supplies them with flour, that flour was running out of its warehouses. Al-‘Ajrami added that bakeries meet 50% of the population’s needs while the Gaza Strip daily needs 450 tons of flour. Meanwhile, WFP confirmed that all 25 WFP-supported bakeries in Gaza have shut down due to lack of fuel and flour, and food parcels are about to deplete as well, emphasizing the last parcels will be distributed in the next two days.¹

PCHR highlights that Israel’s deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war amid the Supreme Court’s coverup constitutes a war crime under Rome Statute, reflects perpetuation of genocide, and violates all international norms and conventions. PCHR recalls the three provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering Israel “to take all measures within its power to allow the entry of desperately needed humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.” PCHR also recalls the Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court’s decision regarding issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for committing war crimes, including use of starvation as a method of warfare.

In light of the above, PCHR calls on the international community to exert pressure on Israel to stop its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, lift the siege, open the crossings and allow the flow of relief supplies indispensable for the survival of the population. PCHR also urges the ICC Prosecutor to investigate crimes committed by Israel and prosecute it. Moreover, PCHR calls on Hungary to respect the international law and condemns its encouragement of Israel’s impunity by receiving the Israeli war criminal Netanyahu, urging it to fulfill its obligations, arrest him and bring him to justice.

1. WFP, official X account :https://x.com/WFP/status/1907131156463825096 ↩︎