"Silent Starvation": More Than 90% of Gazans Unable to Afford Food
Despite the fragile ceasefire announced in October 2025 in Gaza, which included provisions for the continuous entry of food goods and aid, residents of the Strip continue to face a dire humanitarian reality regarding food availability, alongside ongoing deterioration in health conditions.
The Government Media Office, affiliated with the Hamas government in Gaza, accused Israel in a press statement of practicing what it termed a “policy of silent starvation” against civilians in the Strip. It alleged that Israel employs “famine engineering” by blocking the entry of aid or allowing only minimal, partial shipments that fail to meet the minimum needs of the growing population.
The office clarified that more than 95 percent of Gaza’s citizens now rely entirely and exclusively on aid. Meanwhile, over 90 percent of them have completely lost their purchasing power and cannot buy food, making them “hostages to whatever supplies enter to sustain their bare existence and meet the minimum of their nutritional needs.”
It further stated that Israel deliberately prevents the entry of hundreds of thousands of trucks in a clear and systematic method of starvation. The amount permitted to enter does not exceed 35 percent of what was agreed upon. Over the 330 days since the ceasefire agreement was signed, only 69,387 aid and food trucks were allowed to pass, out of the 198,000 trucks that were supposed to enter the Strip under the agreement.
The office held Israel and all countries and entities supporting it responsible for this “systematic starvation,” calling on international institutions and organizations to clarify the reality of this “atrocious crime” to global public opinion and expose the dimensions of the disaster.
The Government Media Office urged the international community, the Security Council, mediators, and the guarantors of the ceasefire agreement to exert immediate and real pressure on Israel to force it to abandon its “starvation policy” and adhere to the signed agreement to ensure the steady flow of food and aid trucks.
In this context, Khalil Atallah, Director of Public Relations and Media at the Gaza Chamber of Commerce and Industry, confirmed that the Gaza Strip continues to suffer from fragile economic conditions due to the ongoing imposition of restrictions on the private sector, border crossings, and the movement of individuals. He explained that the current economic landscape represents a struggle for survival rather than a normal economy, with many sectors completely destroyed due to the prohibition of essential production and operational supplies.
Atallah noted in statements to the official Palestinian radio that the consumer price index has seen unprecedented increases exceeding 200 percent compared to pre-war levels, accompanied by unemployment rates reaching approximately 80 percent. He added, “High living costs and meager income opportunities have negatively impacted the ability of commercial establishments to survive and the general movement of the market.”
