Starving in Gaza like this girl?
There are photos making the rounds in the social media trying to demonstrate how Israel is deliberately starving the Gazan population. The first thing I do is try to determine if they are really photos from Gaza or if it is a photo taken from some other war zone and posted AS IF from Gaza. For many of those I researched, I could neither prove that they were from Gaza nor that they were not from Gaza. The image in the “X” post below is one such example. We see a girl, supposedly thrilled her family has received two chickens after months of starvation — sometimes noted as being up to five months of starvation. Some commenters in threads under posts on “X” and on other platforms in which it was shared noted that these chubby cheeks are not those of a child who has been starved for months.
A little girl in Gaza filled with pure joy after waiting in line and receiving two chickens for her family after months of starvation. pic.twitter.com/snNEkxrE35
— Javeria Sultan (@javeria_sultan1) April 7, 2024
The image in the “X” post below provides an interesting example of how a photo may be authentically from Gaza but not really having the meaning users are twisting it to mean. Similar to others sharing this image, Haaretz, an Israeli news site is implying that the image is one of starving Gazans.
We Israelis are all complicit in the starvation of civilians in Gaza | Opinion | Yuli Tamirhttps://t.co/N1VBdXD1uV
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) April 7, 2024
However, the photo was original taken by AFP, who captioned it thus: “Palestinians react as they gather to collect aid food in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on February 26, 2024, amid continuing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. It is certainly unpleasant to have to crowd around to collect food, but the point is — they are collecting food. Do any of their faces have the gauntness we would expect of people experiencing famine?
We can certainly assume that there are some, perhaps many, children in Gaza who are suffering from malnutrition. However, there are three important points to consider here:
- Israel rejects the accusation of causing famine in Gaza, whether unintentional results of war or, as some say, a war strategy.
- Is there really a famine in Gaza?
- If there is famine in Gaza, why is the world saying the only solution is for Israel to agree to cease fire.
Let’s start with the third point first.
Pressing Israel to agree to a ceasefire for humanitarian reasons
The world seems to forget that there was a ceasefire in effect on the morning of Oct 7th when Hamas terrorists and opportunistic Gazan civilians breached the fence separating Gaza from neighbouring Israeli communities to kill, torture, rape, and abduct Jews. It must be noted that they swept up Arabs and non-Israeli workers as well, but their intended prey were Jews. In this way, Hamas declared war on Israel.
Therefore, asking Israel to agree to another ceasefire would seem to grant Hamas and their Gazan accomplices impunity for having violated the ceasefire that existed when they attacked. It would, in effect, say to them — that’s okay. The world is watching and we will make sure Israel doesn’t carry things too far. Go ahead….do it again if you like.
If anyone really cared, a total ceasefire is easy:
- Release all the rest of the hostages and the bodies of those who are dead.
- Have remaining Hamas terrorists still active in the field put down their arms and surrender.
Why is that so hard to understand or undertake? Pressure Hamas, not Israel.
Is there famine in Gaza?
The UN published a report stating that famine will overtake the Gazan population by the end of May 2024. Israel contests that report, claiming serious errors in the argument. COGAT, the Israeli civil administration for the Palestinian Authority (PA) says:
Even at the height of hostilities, in a war that was forced upon it, Israel places no limits on the amount of aid that can enter Gaza, and absolutely does not limit the entrance of food. Israel also facilitates entry of complementary products such as cooking gas and diesel fuel for the operation of aid centers, bakeries, etc. Additionally, 14 million liters of water are supplied by Israel.
This apparently makes no impression on those who want to accuse Israel of anything they can make up excuses for.
However, perhaps IMSHIN, who calls herself an amateur Gaza watcher, can show us the chances there is famine in Gaza. I will only provide a few examples from her “X” page and suggest you follow her for more information. According to what she is finding on Gazan posts, while Hamas is stealing humanitarian aid, selling it at exhorbitant prices, many people still manage to find enough to eat. The UN report claims that “The entire population in the Gaza Strip (2.23 million) is facing high levels of acute food insecurity.” The posts below seem to contradict that claim.
Making cinnabons in wartime Gaza.#TheGazaYouDontSee
https://t.co/soUkaz2UlX pic.twitter.com/K61BDTRNFL— Imshin (@imshin) April 5, 2024
Maryam shares more food innovations in wartime Gaza.#TheGazaYouDontSee
https://t.co/mBELAeL1oW pic.twitter.com/QVXo7AmJAk— Imshin (@imshin) April 5, 2024
More photos of giving out food to Gazan children, this time in North Gaza. They don’t forget to include a shiny banner thanking Indonesian donors.#TheGazaYouDontSee
https://t.co/IHdWcugRAA pic.twitter.com/PlS6FZpZW6— Imshin (@imshin) April 5, 2024
25th day of Ramadan (yesterday), Gazan charity director Sheikh Hani Abu el-Qasem shows 4000 chickens he had for distribution to poor and displaced Gazans, South Gaza Strip.#TheGazaYouDontSeehttps://t.co/VzvFvAiW7q pic.twitter.com/cPIElQLjKY
— Imshin (@imshin) April 5, 2024
6 eggs for 10 shekels in Rafah, south Gaza Strip.#TheGazaYouDontSeehttps://t.co/mNlZJI9i4q pic.twitter.com/qMOijRUrZl
— Imshin (@imshin) April 5, 2024
Need I go on?
These are available to anyone who wants to know the truth. This does not necessarily mean that nobody is suffering from malnutrition in Gaza. But it does suggest that the means for preventing that lies within Gaza itself and not in Israeli ceasefire.
