Urgent Appeal to the Committee for World Food Security (CFS) for Immediate Action Against Israel’s Use of Starvation as a Weapon of War in Gaza
24 November 2023
Subject: Urgent Appeal to the
Committee for World Food Security (CFS) for Immediate Action Against Israel’s
Use of Starvation as a Weapon of War in Gaza
We, the undersigned civil society organizations from the Arab
world, urgently write concerning the horrifying humanitarian crisis unfolding
in Gaza, Palestine. Ahead of the reconvening of the Committee
for World Food Security (CFS) plenary in Rome, Italy, on November 25, we bring
to attention the grave matter of Israel’s deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war. We implore the Committee for
World Food Security to support the right to food of the Palestinians in Gaza,
call for a permanent ceasefire, condemn Israel’s egregious use of starvation as
a weapon of war, ensure the opening of the Rafah border to sufficient and
unconditional humanitarian aid, and hold Israel accountable for its crimes
against humanity, including through the encouragement of sanctions. The CFS has
a responsibility to take immediate action to address this unconscionable
crisis.
Israel is waging a genocidal war on the Palestinians in Gaza,
killing at least 15,000 and injuring at least 33,000 in Gaza since October 7.
The UN Secretary General has described the scale of civilian deaths as being
“unparalleled and unprecedented” during his tenure. OCHA
reports that over 1.7 million are internally displaced as a result of Israel’s
attacks, unable to access proper nutrition or clean water. Before October 7,
the majority of Gaza’s population was food insecure; now, the entirety of Gaza’s
2.3 million population is at risk of starvation.
Israel is accompanying its bombing by a total siege on Gaza,
with Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant explicitly stating Israel’s intent to starve the
population, saying on 9 October 2023: “We are imposing a complete siege on
[Gaza]. No electricity, no food, no water, no fuel – everything is closed. We
are fighting human animals, and we act accordingly.” Before October 7,
around 10,000 truckloads of humanitarian and commercial goods would enter Gaza
each month. In the past month, however, Israel only allowed 1,479 truckloads of
humanitarian supplies to enter Gaza through the Egyptian border between 21
October and 22 November, representing a significant decline and far below the
needed amount.
In addition to preventing the entry of sufficient amounts of
food via humanitarian aid, Israel’s attacks have intentionally targeted
essential infrastructure, destroying Gaza’s food supply chains and resulting in
mass food insecurity for the entirety of Gaza’s population. Civilians,
including the children who are over half of Gaza’s population, are not only
subjected to the immediate threat of violence but also starvation. OCHA has
documented countless attacks on food security, including the targeting of
agricultural lands, the seaport, bakeries, and water access. These brutal
attacks to intentionally prevent Palestinians from accessing any means of
sustenance have gone so far as to target and destroy Palestinian fishing boats after families caught fish to
eat in the absence of other food. Reports and irrefutable testimonies attest to
a deliberate and systematic strategy by Israel utilizing starvation as a method
of warfare. Israel is manufacturing a mass famine among the Palestinians of
Gaza.
These tactics are not new by any means; Gaza has been under
total Israeli siege since 2007, which has led to the near collapse of Gaza’s
economy. Israel’s control over the entry of raw materials and supplies into
Gaza, in addition to its control over Gaza’s access to and use of water and
electricity, severely impacts access to agricultural, production, and supply
infrastructure, in addition to basic survival and health needs. Further, Israel
imposes what is referred to as a “buffer zone” or “access restricted areas” (ARA) within the Gaza Strip.
The ARA covers approximately 35% of Gaza’s cultivable land and 85% of its
maritime area, making these areas totally or partially inaccessible to
Palestinians.
Israel’s actions stand in stark violation of fundamental
principles outlined in the Geneva Conventions and basic pillars of
international humanitarian law. The use of starvation as a weapon of war by
Israel constitutes a reprehensible breach of ethical norms and human rights
standards that demand immediate condemnation and redress. Striving for a “world
free from hunger”, the Committee for World Food Security asserts itself as the
“foremost inclusive international and intergovernmental platform” working
together towards “the elimination of hunger and ensuring Food Security and
Nutrition.” As such, it has a duty and responsibility to immediately
intervene and ensure that Palestinians in Gaza are afforded this same right.
In accordance to its mandate, we
implore the Committee for World Food Security to:
Support
the right to food of the Palestinians in Gaza, recognizing that this is
impossible under siege and blockade;
●
● Advocate
vigorously for a permanent ceasefire, acknowledging that a “humanitarian pause”
means that the bombing will resume;
● Publicly
condemn Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon of war, underscoring the urgency
of protecting civilian populations and their food systems;
● Ensure
the opening of the Rafah border with Egypt and the entry of unconditional and
sufficient humanitarian aid, including food, water, and medical support, to all
areas of the Gaza strip; and
● Hold
Israel accountable for its crimes against humanity, including through the
encouragement of sanctions.
We urge the “Near East and North Africa” region member countries of the CFS – Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait,
Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia,
United Arab Emirates, and Yemen – to heed the calls of the Arab people and take
immediate action at the upcoming plenary in Rome. We particularly call upon
Egypt and Mauritania, the two current regional member countries of the CFS executive
Bureau, to push for such efforts. Egypt, bordering Gaza, bears particular responsibility in assuring the sufficient
entry of humanitarian aid and food through the Rafah crossing.
We urge the Committee for World Food Security to stand as a
beacon of justice and humanity in the face of this ongoing crisis and to take
swift and decisive action to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza. The
international community must put an end to the use of starvation as a weapon of
war and to ensure that the people of Gaza have access to the food and resources
they urgently need.
Sincerely,
–
Agrimovement in Lebanon – Lebanon
–
Al-Ard for Agricultural Development –
Palestine
–
Bisan Center for Research and Development –
Palestine
–
Dibeen for Environmental Development – Jordan
–
El Nadeem Center – Egypt
–
Fédération Nationale du Secteur Agricole –
Morocco
–
Independent Teachers Union – Egypt
–
Million Rural Women and the Landless – Tunisia
–
Mwatana for Human Rights – Yemen
–
Phenix Center for Sustainable Development –
Jordan
–
Refugees platform in Egypt (RPE) – Egypt
–
The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion
of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH) – Palestine
–
Tunisian Human Rights League – Tunisia
–
Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) –
Palestine