Authorities in the Gaza Strip have accused Israel of implementing a “systematic policy of starvation” by restricting the supply of flour and other essential food items to the territory.
In a statement shared on Telegram, the Gaza government’s Government Media Office (Gaza) said Israel was deliberately limiting the entry of food supplies, putting the food security of more than 2.4 million residents at risk.
Officials said bread production in Gaza has dropped significantly in recent months due to severe restrictions on flour imports. According to the statement, humanitarian aid entering the enclave currently amounts to only about 38 percent of the levels recorded before the war.
The government said the territory requires roughly 450 tonnes of flour each day to meet basic needs, but only around 200 tonnes are currently available. As a result, the number of operating bakeries has fallen to about 30.
Those bakeries are producing roughly 133,000 packages of bread per day, which authorities say is far from sufficient to feed the population.
Gaza officials described the situation as a deliberate policy aimed at starving the population and urged the international community to intervene urgently. They called for the full reopening of border crossings, unrestricted entry of flour and wheat, and a significant increase in humanitarian aid deliveries.
The government warned that if current restrictions continue, the bread production system in Gaza could collapse entirely.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian group Hamas also accused Israel of reintroducing what it described as a starvation strategy by severely limiting humanitarian aid entering Gaza.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said restrictions on flour and basic food supplies had driven up bread prices and worsened poverty conditions across the territory. He also accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement by allowing only about one-third of the aid shipments stipulated under the deal to enter Gaza.
Qassem added that Israeli forces were continuing military operations in the enclave and failing to adhere to ceasefire commitments. He rejected claims in some international statements suggesting that aid deliveries were proceeding according to the agreement.
The spokesperson called on mediators and guarantors of the ceasefire to take a firm stance against what he described as Israel’s starvation policy and to ensure the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian assistance.
According to local authorities, the death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023 has risen to 72,328, with more than 172,000 people reported injured. Thousands of victims are still believed to be trapped under rubble across the territory.