Between Hunger and Starvation: The Hidden Truth in Gaza

By: Tom Wagner

Every time Gaza is mentioned, some voices inside and outside Israel are quick to launch a weighty accusation: “Israel is starving the people of Gaza.” However, before we rely on slogans or get bogged down in the wave of mutual accusations, we must distinguish between hunger as a painful human reality and “starvation” as a deliberate and systematic policy.

Yes, it’s very likely that there is real hunger in Gaza. The scenes of chaos at the trucks, the lack of orderly distribution, and the difficulty of aid reaching the most vulnerable are all indicators of a severe humanitarian crisis. But that’s one thing, and the allegation of a systematic Israeli policy aimed at starving the population is quite another.

The facts on the ground are more complex than the narratives circulating in the media or on social media. Trucks entering Gaza loaded with aid find no clear distribution system. Drivers unload their cargo under threat and leave in a hurry, while residents scramble to collect what they can. Amid war and chaos, notions of “social justice” and “fair distribution” are buried, and the voices of the vulnerable are silenced.

As for the so-called “starvation policy,” there is no official decision or directive from the Knesset, the government, or the military leadership to support this claim. On the contrary, there is a clear humanitarian mechanism run by Israel in cooperation with the United States, whose goal is to bring in and distribute aid through channels that do not pass through Hamas, to protect the aid and ensure its delivery to civilians.

If we want to be objective, talk of “starvation” should be accompanied by tangible evidence: government decisions, military plans, or public statements. None of this exists. On the contrary, there are Israeli teams on the ground, armed, funded, and dedicated solely to ensuring the passage of food convoys and protecting them from chaos or looting.

So why do some people insist on using the term “starvation” instead of “hunger”?

The answer varies: some lack accurate information, others are so immersed in the quagmire of political polarization that they no longer see the truth except through an ideological lens, while others embrace a systematic rhetoric of incitement. Some don’t even live in Israel, but speak on its behalf from Tehran, southern Lebanon, or Yemen.

These people not only aim to demonize Israel, but also seek to create a legitimate justification in the eyes of their audience for the use of violence. “If Israel is practicing starvation,” they say, “then we have the right to fight it by all means.” Thus, propaganda is turned into a weapon, and blood is justified in the name of “bread.”

In the midst of this chaos, we must ask ourselves clearly:

If aid is entering Gaza, there are mechanisms for its distribution, and budgets are allocated for this purpose—can we really speak of a “starvation” policy? And if these efforts are insufficient, do we need to revise and develop them, or demolish them in the media to serve dubious narratives?

Ultimately, hunger is a tragedy, and no one denies it. But “starvation” is an accusation that requires proof. And between tragedy and slander, there is a big difference, not just in language… but in intent as well.

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