After nearly 14 months of war, Palestinians continue to face major food shortages while under relentless bombardment and a total blockade that has brought life in northern Gaza to breaking point.
“This unmerciful war does not differentiate civilians from soldiers. My family says they are dying of hunger, they haven’t tasted bread in three months,” said Dr. Ibrahim Assalia, whose family in Jabalia is among those suffering the worst of this siege.
Assalia recounted how stories of starvation, death, and displacement have become painfully routine for the people of Gaza, during a conference hosted by the British Palestinian Committee (BPC) and the UK Gaza Community (UKGC).
Israel’s siege and military offensive, which began in northern Gaza on 6 October this year, have turned areas like Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun into epicentres of destruction. Once home to vibrant communities, these cities have been reduced to rubble.
‘This is not just a blockade – it’s intentional starvation’
The blockade has not only displaced most of the population of Gaza but trapped those who remain in a humanitarian abyss, without even the most basic necessities of life.
Survivors, aid workers, and activists at the conference presented evidence of war crimes, including mass detentions, targeted killings, and intentional starvation.
According to the United Nations, humanitarian access to northern Gaza has been almost entirely blocked for over two months. Food, water, and medical supplies are either unavailable or prohibitively expensive.
Israeli officials claim the operations target Hamas, but survivors tell a different story.
Mai Annan, head of the Reviving Gaza mutual aid project, said that fewer than 50 trucks of supplies are entering Gaza daily, compared to 400-500 before the conflict.
For 1.9 million people, this is a death sentence, she argued, and Annan recounted how a six-year-old recently died from celiac disease because life-saving treatments were unavailable.
“This is not a famine – it’s intentional starvation and all under UK approval,” she said.
Britain’s role in the siege
During the press conference, Khem Rogaly, a researcher with the British Palestinian Committee, presented findings from a forthcoming report unveiling the extent of the UK’s involvement, which, experts argue extends far beyond mere arms sales.
“This isn’t just about [weapons] export licenses – it’s about active collaboration. Britain is providing logistical support, intelligence, and aiding Israeli missions. This is a flagrant violation of international law,” he said.
Rogaly pointed to the British Royal Air Force’s (RAF) flights over Gaza evidence of this complicity.
Since December 2023, RAF surveillance aircraft have conducted over 450 flights over Gaza from the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus. These flights, which the UK says are meant to help Israel find captives held by Hamas, collect intelligence that activists argue is used to target civilian areas.
Despite mounting evidence of war crimes, the UK has also refrained from halting arms exports to Israel. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has instead emphasized his support for “Israel’s right to defend itself,” ignoring calls from MPs to cease military cooperation.
He has also come under fire for his visit to RAF Akrotiri.
Activists at the press conference accused Starmer of ignoring mounting evidence of war crimes while prioritising political alliances.
‘The plan is just to kill’
The assault on northern Gaza had come amid a near-total media blackout as Israel prohibits the entry of international journalists and deliberately targets Palestinian journalists reporting on the carnage.
Over 188 journalists have been killed since the conflict began, further obscuring the scale of the atrocities.
Dr. Mohamed Ashraf, a Gaza-based doctor described the horrific conditions under which medical workers are operating.
“My colleague works from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, sleeping just four hours a night. He’s lost his mother in an airstrike, yet he continues to save lives,” Dr. Ashraf said.
For survivors and activists, the international community’s silence is deafening, many accusing Western countries, particularly the UK, of hypocrisy. While calling for humanitarian values in other conflicts, these nations have turned a blind eye to Gaza’s suffering, they said.
Speakers at the press conference emphasised that Gaza’s plight is not merely a humanitarian crisis but a deliberate campaign to erase Palestinians.
“This isn’t about military targets,” Najjar said. “The plan is just to kill.”
The New Arab has contacted the UK Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence for comment.
