Statement Issued by the Palestinian Network of Non-Governmental Organizations Regarding the Declaration of Famine in Gaza Strip

SadaNews - While children, women, and the elderly in Gaza face death by starvation every day, UN reports confirm that what is happening is not a natural disaster but a systematic crime that evidences a clear intent to commit genocide.
 
Both the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) and the Famine Review Committee have concluded that the Israeli occupation forces have caused famine in Gaza. Causing famine as an act of war constitutes a gross violation of the entire framework of international law, and in the case of Gaza, where starvation has been used by the occupying state as a method of warfare, this is a clear indicator of intent to commit genocide.
 
As the Israeli occupation forces escalate bombing and attacks on the Gaza Strip and threaten to destroy the city of Gaza and displace its residents during this time when famine is claiming the lives of civilians daily, we warn that any invasion or operations aimed at transferring the population is a death sentence for tens of thousands. The systematic destruction of food systems, imposing restrictions on the entry of aid, spreading chaos through continued eviction orders, widespread bombing, collaborating with and arming gangs that loot aid and prevent it from reaching affected populations, in addition to militarizing humanitarian assistance from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, are all explicit manifestations of intent to commit genocide.
 
The Palestinian Network of Non-Governmental Organizations affirms that famine in Gaza has existed since before mid-August 2025 and has been created by the occupation, which has exploited civilians' need for food to direct them to death marches in the locations of "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation".
 
The Israeli occupation has committed grave violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) through its practices, including starving civilians as a method of war, targeting essential civilian facilities (food, water, agriculture), failing to distinguish between civilian and military objects, launching disproportionate attacks, and obstructing humanitarian access.
 
Additionally, the occupation has violated international criminal law (ICL) by committing the war crime of starvation, the war crime of intentional killing, the war crime of targeting civilians, and (genocide, persecution) which are crimes against humanity, and the crime of genocide.
 
Furthermore, the occupation has violated international human rights law (IHRL) by infringing upon the right to life and the right to food.
 
The responsibility of third states towards famine used as a method of war is not merely moral or political; it is a legal obligation that imposes specific duties on states, including:
 
1) Ensuring compliance with international humanitarian law, 2) Not assisting the occupation in committing unlawful acts, 3) The duty to prevent and not recognize unlawful situations, 4) The duty to cooperate to end violations and put an end to gross violations and the responsibility to protect.
 
Accordingly, we demand that states take the following steps:
Immediate intervention to stop the genocide being perpetrated by the Israeli occupation against the Gaza Strip.
Intervention to provide international protection for the Palestinian people, open all crossings to the Gaza Strip, and ensure safe humanitarian corridors for the entry of aid and medical and relief workers.
Refer Israeli occupation leaders to the International Criminal Court and relevant national courts on charges of committing the crime of genocide and using starvation as a weapon of war.
Suspend all forms of military, economic, and diplomatic support to the Israeli government and army—especially from the United States and the European Union—and prevent the passage of arms shipments through ports and airports and the territories of other states, given that these weapons have been used in widespread violations of human rights.
Call for the UN Security Council to act immediately to impose international sanctions on Israel, to stop the aggression and lift the blockade completely. If the council is unable due to veto power, we call on the United Nations General Assembly to suspend Israel's membership and adopt a "Union for Peace" resolution to put an end to illegal violations, particularly regarding the genocide convention.
 
We also call on the UN Secretary-General to declare that the Gaza Strip is a famine-affected area and take necessary action by all UN organizations to assist those affected.
 
We urge civil society, unions, parliamentarians, public employees, and all free people of the world to:
Press their governments, elected officials, and corporations to ensure they are not complicit in the crimes of the occupation through any form of support.
Push for the practical measures mentioned to hold the Israeli government and all involved in these grave violations accountable.
Raise voices through collective actions to end genocide and starvation.
Join and implement Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaigns against companies, entities, and individuals involved.