Doha: Qatari newspaper editorials on Sunday focused on several pressing issues, particularly the official announcement by UN and international experts of a widespread famine in the Gaza Strip. This marks the first time a famine has been declared in the Middle East, and there is a call for urgent international intervention to aid children, women, and civilians in Gaza. The editorials also addressed the crimes attributed to the Israeli entity, including starvation, an illegal siege, systematic destruction, and the denial of aid to the Palestinian people.
According to Qatar News Agency, Al-Sharq newspaper reported that after nearly six months of a complete blockade, including the closure of crossings and prevention of aid, food, and medical supplies, the number of starvation and malnutrition victims in Gaza has risen to 281, including 114 children. The United Nations has officially declared a state of famine in Gaza, with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) stating that more than half a million people are facing catastrophic hunger, the highest level in the classification, characterized by starvation and death.
Al-Sharq noted that the official announcement of the famine has come too late, as described by the residents of Gaza, who have been experiencing severe famine for months amid ongoing conflict since October 7, 2023. The newspaper emphasized the need for international action to halt the aggression, lift the blockade, open all crossings, and allow continued and adequate flow of humanitarian aid. Additionally, it called for enabling UN agencies and international organizations to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of Gaza without hindrance.
In its conclusion, Al-Sharq stressed that the IPC report necessitates urgent international action to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to hold accountable those responsible for the acts of starvation and siege, which constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Al-Watan newspaper echoed these concerns, reporting that the UN and international experts have officially declared famine in Gaza for the first time. Organizations such as the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Food Programme, and the Food and Agriculture Organization confirmed that more than half a million people in Gaza are trapped in famine conditions.
Al-Watan highlighted that international legal instruments, including the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols, prohibit the use of starvation as a means of warfare. The paper referenced a 2019 amendment to the Rome Statute that classifies starvation as a war crime in non-international armed conflicts. The newspaper also recalled that former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a complete blockade of Gaza on October 9, 2023, indicating a lack of basic necessities such as electricity, food, water, and gas, prompting calls for international intervention.
The newspaper expressed regret over the lack of necessary actions to prevent the current situation, emphasizing that Israel is not only systematically starving Gaza but also depriving its people of water, a situation unfolding in full view of the international community without adequate response.