We Cannot Say We Didn’t Know
The Wednesday tweet from a current United States representative read: “When you wonder why I don’t give a sh*t about Gazans, here is one reason.” Randy Fine then linked to a tragic story of a 22-year-old who was killed in the October 7 terrorist attacks Hamas carried out in Israel.
The day before, Fine wrote, “Release the hostages. Until then, starve away.”
Starvation is exactly what is happening in Gaza. On July 21, the UN said that 25% of Gaza’s population is faced with famine, which includes extreme food shortages and increased mortality. Almost 100,000 women and children in Gaza have severe acute malnutrition and need immediate treatment, and Gaza has reached “new and astonishing levels of desperation, with a third of the population not eating for multiple days in a row,” the organization says. As of this writing, at least 100 people have died from starvation.
It’s not just Gazans who are facing food shortages — it’s also humanitarian staff. Doctors and nurses are themselves fainting due to hunger and exhaustion. One UN employee walked hours to purchase a bag of flour and some lentils for $200.
This is not due to a lack of supplies. The supplies exist, but they are being intentionally withheld. The UN says they have 6,000 trucks full of food, medicine, and other supplies ready to go, waiting for clearance to enter the checkpoints into Gaza, but so far, they have not received permission.
“Starve away” indeed.