World Insights: With Gaza kids wasting away, Israeli blockade sparks global condemnation

"The level of evil that it takes to make a decision to starve a baby as a means of war, as a weapon of war -- what have we come to as humanity? What have we come to as a country?"

GAZA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- As helpless doctors are watching children waste away from hunger in Gaza's shattered hospitals, international condemnation of Israel is growing, with governments and aid groups alike denouncing its siege as a humanitarian catastrophe.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday announced that France will recognize Palestine as a state -- the first G7 member to make such a diplomatic statement.

This landmark move came amid the snowballing global outrage over the "man-made" mass starvation in Gaza caused by Israel's blockade on aid into the enclave. Another 10 people died overnight from famine, pushing the total number of people starved to death to 111, the Gaza health ministry said Thursday, noting most of them have died in recent weeks.

MAN-MADE MASS STARVATION

Since Israel cut off all supplies to Gaza in March, citing concerns that aid was being diverted to Hamas, food stocks in the besieged enclave have been exhausted.

Since then, the United Nations (UN) and its humanitarian partners have been unable to deliver food for nearly 80 days, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday, noting that even after the restrictions were lifted in May, the resumed deliveries remained inadequate.

His remarks followed a joint statement issued Wednesday by more than 100 aid agencies, underlining that tons of food, clean water and medical supplies sit outside Gaza "untouched," as they were blocked from delivering the goods.

"I don't know what you would call it other than mass starvation, and it's man-made, and that's very clear," Ghebreyesus said. "This is because of the blockade."

Mohammed Abu Salmiya, head of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, said Tuesday that 21 children have died across the Palestinian territory over the past three days "due to malnutrition and starvation." New cases were arriving at Gaza's hospitals "every moment," he added.

Meanwhile, Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the occupied Palestinian territory, said 5,100 children have been admitted to malnutrition programs in July alone, including 800 who were severely emaciated.

Khalil al-Deqran, a spokesperson for the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health, told Reuters that "Hospitals are already overwhelmed by the number of casualties from gunfire. They can't provide much more help for hunger-related symptoms because of food and medicine shortages."

Deqran added that there were 600,000 people suffering from malnutrition symptoms such as dehydration and anemia, including 60,000 pregnant women.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said many Palestinians arrived at hospitals "in a state of severe exhaustion caused by a lack of food, and others are said to be collapsing in the streets," noting that "many more may be dying unreported."

"These deaths and the horrendous physical and psychological suffering caused by hunger are the result of Israel's interference with and militarization of humanitarian assistance," it said. "They are the foreseeable and repeatedly foretold consequences of Israel's closure, blockade and other unlawful impediments to the entry and distribution of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, which has left a severe lack of all humanitarian assistance, including food."

"The Israeli military must immediately stop shooting at people trying to get food. Firearms must never be used simply to disperse a crowd, even as a warning," it added.

MOUNTING GLOBAL PRESSURE ON ISRAEL

As the humanitarian nightmare continues, global outrage is reaching a boiling point.

Macron stepped up diplomatic pressure on Israel with his Friday statement, following public condemnation earlier this week by France and several other European countries over Israel's blockade of aid and the killing of hundreds of Palestinians trying to reach food.

He said in a post on social media platform X that he will "make the solemn announcement" of France's recognition of Palestine's statehood in September's UN General Assembly. "The urgency today is to end the war in Gaza and to provide aid to the civilian population."

"There must be an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza," he wrote, noting "there is no alternative."

As the biggest Western power to recognize Palestine, France could pave the way for other countries to follow, the AP said in a Friday report.

So far, over 140 countries recognize a Palestinian state, including more than a dozen in Europe like Slovenia, Norway and Spain, while Israel urged countries to hold off on recognition until the decades-old conflict is resolved.

"We strongly condemn President Macron's decision," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. "Such a move rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became. A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel -- not to live in peace beside it."

The Palestinian Authority welcomed it. "We express our thanks and appreciation" to Macron, said Hussein al-Sheikh, vice president of the Palestine Liberation Organization. "This position reflects France's commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people's rights to self-determination."
In line with Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Thursday that "We are clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people."

"A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis," Starmer said in a statement, ahead of an "emergency call" on Friday with France and Germany on Gaza, regarding how to get food to the starving and how to stop the conflict.

"The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible," he added.

While Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also accused Israel of violating international law over the humanitarian crisis, urging the country to "respect the territorial integrity of the West Bank and Gaza," the United States "strongly rejects" Macron's declaration.

"This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote in a post on X, soon after the country cut short Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar, accusing Hamas of lacking "good faith."

U.S. CUTS SHORT PEACE TALKS

The United States is cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks and pulling its negotiating team out of Qatar for consultations, after Hamas's latest response "shows a lack of desire" to reach a truce, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said Thursday.

"While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith," Witkoff said in a statement. "We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza," without disclosing any details on what those alternatives might be.

He added that it was "a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way" and that the United States is "resolute" in seeking an end to the conflict in Gaza.

In response, Hamas said it was surprised by Witkoff's "negative remarks," noting it had shown responsibility and flexibility in the negotiations. It also reaffirmed its "keenness to continue the negotiations and to engage in a way that would ease obstacles and ensure reaching a permanent ceasefire."

Despite the Trump administration positioning itself as a peacemaker and vowing to broker a resolution to the Gaza conflict, no breakthrough has been achieved so far.

U.S. President Donald Trump, whose relationship with Netanyahu was described as "good" by the White House, hosted the Israeli leader for a four-day visit to Washington earlier this month.

Though Trump said he expected some progress that week on a ceasefire, including the release of hostages held by Hamas and a significant increase in humanitarian aid, Netanyahu left the country with no agreement announced.

As the two leaders were having a private dinner in the White House, hundreds of protesters gathered outside. Many wore Palestinian keffiyehs, waved Palestinian flags, and held signs reading "Stop Arming Israel" and "Say No to Genocide."

Such protests have continued on and off, as Al Jazeera reported on a group of military veterans, doctors and former U.S. officials, as well as Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, demonstrating Thursday against the administration's "unconditional support for Israel."

"The level of evil that it takes to make a decision to starve a baby as a means of war, as a weapon of war -- what have we come to as humanity? What have we come to as a country?" Josephine Guilbeau, a 17-year U.S. Army veteran, told Al Jazeera outside the Capitol.

Similarly, Tlaib said, "Americans serving in Congress, wake up because the American people are telling you over and over again: We're not in support of this."■