Rights group warns of catastrophic hunger, child deaths amid deliberate aid obstruction under Israel's ‘militarized aid scheme'
Israel is continuing to use starvation as a weapon of war against civilians in the Gaza Strip, as part of a broader effort to “inflict genocide” on Palestinians, human rights group Amnesty International said on Thursday.
In a statement, the London-based group said conditions for civilians in Gaza remain catastrophic, especially for children, amid ongoing bombardment, forced displacement, and a lack of access to food, clean water, and medicine.
“Israel's genocide has continued unabated in Gaza,” said Amnesty Secretary General Agnes Callamard.
Israel is “deliberately imposing conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction” for the Palestinians, he added.
According to Amnesty, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed or injured while trying to access aid, either at militarized distribution points or while en route to convoys.
- Weaponized aid, blockade
Amnesty said Israel's “militarized aid scheme,” operated by the US group Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), has not only failed to meet humanitarian needs but has become “a booby trap for desperate starved Palestinians.”
The aid reaching Gaza is “extremely limited,” the rights group said, adding that “hundreds of aid trucks remain stuck outside Gaza, waiting for an Israeli permit to enter.”
The organization said Israel has turned efforts to seek aid into a death sentence while denying the UN and international agencies access to deliver food, fuel, and shelter.
Despite a global outcry and three binding rulings from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Amnesty said that Israel has continued to defy international orders to allow unimpeded humanitarian access.
- Children at risk
Amnesty also highlighted the devastating impact of the Israeli war on Gazan children.
Since October 2023, “at least 66 children have died as a direct result of malnutrition-related conditions,” with many more who “have died as a result of preventable diseases exacerbated by malnutrition.”
Among the victims was four-month-old Jinan Iskafi, who died in May from severe dehydration and malnutrition after her family was unable to access specialized formula due to the blockade, the report noted.
At hospitals in Gaza City and the southern city of Khan Younis, doctors reported that nearly 15% of children screened daily showed “signs associated with severe or moderate malnutrition,” with many re-hospitalized after initial treatment due to worsening conditions in displacement camps.
One pediatrician described the situation as “really unprecedented,” while another warned of long-term cognitive and psychological effects on children.
Medical staff themselves face severe challenges, with many displaced and undernourished.
“We try to save lives… but there is very little we can do after discharge,” one doctor told Amnesty.
- International complicity
Amnesty accused the international community of failing to halt Israel's genocide in Gaza, warning that by allowing Israel's actions to continue unchecked, states risk complicity through “inaction and ongoing support.”
“States must cease their inertia and live up to their legal obligations,” said Callamard, calling for an immediate suspension of all military support to Israel, bans on trade and investment linked to human rights abuses, and targeted sanctions on Israeli officials responsible for crimes under international law.
The rights group urged full cooperation with the International Criminal Court, which issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli leaders over war crimes in Gaza.
“Not only has the international community failed to stop this genocide, but it has also allowed Israel to constantly reinvent new ways to destroy Palestinian lives,” said Callamard.
Despite international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a genocidal war on Gaza, killing more than 57,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, since October 2023.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
