A unit of Israel’s Ministry of Defense, COGAT, released a report today claiming that there are ‘no signs of generalized malnutrition’ in Gaza, despite warnings from the United Nations and numerous international organizations about the risk of mass starvation. COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for coordinating aid into Gaza, stated it conducted an ‘in-depth evaluation’ of Hamas data on deaths due to malnutrition, identifying ‘significant discrepancies’ and asserting that many deaths are linked to pre-existing illnesses.
The Hamas-led government responded by accusing Israel of ‘systematic starvation’ of the population and an ‘desperate attempt to cover up an internationally documented crime.’ Since the war began, Israel has imposed a siege on more than two million residents of Gaza, with a complete humanitarian blockade from March that partially eased in May and again at the end of July.
According to the World Health Organization, 148 people have died from malnutrition this year, while nearly 12,000 children under the age of five suffered from acute malnutrition in July — the highest monthly number recorded. The World Food Programme warns that ‘over one third of the population is not eating for many consecutive days’ and that over 300,000 children are seriously at risk. For Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), ‘malnutrition in Gaza is a reality, evolving rapidly and affecting the entire population,’ including the middle class.