The Failure of Humanity

Two decades ago, at the 2005 World Summit, global leaders committed to the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). The world agreed to act to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. In Gaza, humanity failed its responsibility to protect.

The Israeli news outlet Haaretz published a grim exposé. “Israeli soldiers in Gaza told Haaretz that the army has deliberately fired at Palestinians near aid distribution sites over the past month… even though it was clear they posed no threat.” Israeli reporter Gideon Levy wrote, “Soldiers are receiving orders to shoot to kill masses of starving people.”

The massacres took place at the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution sites. A soldier said the GHF distribution sites were “a killing field.” A senior reserve officer said, “This thing called killing innocent people – it’s been normalized.” Israeli soldiers “fire with everything imaginable: heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars.”

Save the Children wrote, “This is not a humanitarian operation – it’s a death trap.” Israeli reporter Nir Hasson said, “The foundation and Israel put before Palestinians a cruel choice… Starve and see your children starve, or risk death to bring back food.” The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s true goal is “to secure the vision of ethnic cleansing of Gaza.” Doctors Without Borders reached the same conclusion. “Israel continues to pursue its campaign of ethnic cleansing by deliberately destroying the conditions necessary for life.”

The United Nations documented that every person in Gaza is at risk of famine. The World Health Organization admitted, “one in five people in Gaza – 500,000 – faces starvation.” The United Nations Children’s Fund wrote, “5,119 children between 6 months and 5 years of age [were] admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition in May alone.” The United Nations Population Fund wrote, “Almost 11,000 pregnant women are already reported to be at risk of famine.”

The Israeli Human Rights Organization B’Tselem wrote, “The severe hunger that has developed over recent months in the Gaza Strip is… the product of a deliberate and conscious Israeli policy.” Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said, “Israeli cabinet ministers, headed by crime boss Netanyahu, are actively, unhesitatingly and with malice aforethought are pursuing a policy of starvation.”

Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant defined the policy on 9 October 2023. “There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed.” The Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, “It might be justified and moral,” to “cause 2 million civilians to die of hunger.” Yet, half of Gaza’s population is children.

The US-backed Israeli policy of starvation targets the children of Gaza. The United Nations reported “a total of 18,741 children have been admitted for treatment of acute malnutrition since the beginning of the year.”

At the Oval Office, President Trump admitted, in Gaza, “We’re involved. People are dying.” We continue to send weapon shipments and military aid to Israel. All provided by taxpayer money, of course. Meanwhile, 14 million children go hungry in the US.

Anton Porcari

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