On Sunday, Euro-Med Monitor said that famine reached “catastrophic levels” among adults and children due to the siege, with 20 percent of the population “suffering from extreme levels of hunger”.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, has reiterated his country’s calls for global pressure on Israel to enable the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip, as starvation threatens the lives of its 2.1 million population.
“We call for international pressure to find solutions to allow aid into the Gaza Strip,” Al-Ansari, who is also the Prime Minister’s Advisor, told a weekly press briefing in Doha on Tuesday, as cited by Al Jazeera.
Al-Ansari also called on Israel to stop weaponising aid and using it as a “bargaining chip”.
“Humanitarian aid in Gaza cannot be used as a bargaining chip or negotiation tool,” he told the press at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ building.
Israel barred entry through all of Gaza’s crossings on March 2, completely blocking essential aid from entering the territory in violation of the terms of the ceasefire deal mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States on January 15.
Israel then renewed its genocide in the Gaza Strip on March 18, ending the ceasefire deal, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intensifying attempts to take over the area and forcibly expel its population.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 61,700 people in the Gaza Strip, according to a revised figure by the local health ministry. However, the figure is believed to be significantly higher with thousands trapped under the rubble.
The total also does not account for the deaths caused by severe malnutrition, a direct result of Israel’s total blockade.
On Sunday, Euro-Med Monitor said that famine reached “catastrophic levels” among adults and children due to the siege, with 20 percent of the population “suffering from extreme levels of hunger”.
The mortality rate has also doubled, with one death per day for every 10,000 adults and two deaths per day for every 10,000 children, according to the watchdog.
“The crime of starvation in Gaza is fully-fledged and committed in broad daylight; it requires no investigation committees or judicial rulings to prove it,” Lima Bustami, Euro-Med Monitor’s Legal Department Director, said in a statement.
Mediation efforts ongoing
Meanwhile, on Monday, Netanyahu’s security cabinet agreed to expand military operations in the Gaza Strip as occupation forces announced plans to mobilise tens of thousands of reservists.
“One thing will be clear: there will be no in-and-out,” Netanyahu said on Monday in a video on X.
“We’ll call up reserves to come, hold territory — we’re not going to enter and then exit the area, only to carry out raids afterward. That’s not the plan. The intention is the opposite,” he added.
Netanyahu’s plans come despite the ongoing mediation efforts as he refuses to halt the brutal war while criticising Qatar’s role—despite it securing the release of at least 138 captives.
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson, during his latest briefing, said that mediation efforts are ongoing “despite the difficult situation”.
“Our efforts remain ongoing despite the difficulty of the situation and the continuing catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip,” Al-Ansari said.
“The State of Qatar’s role as an honest mediator is internationally recognised,” he added.
