Top Hamas official says Israel waging war of starvation on Gazans

A senior Hamas official says the Israeli regime is waging a war of starvation on the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, stressing that closure of crossings to the besieged territory has worsened the food crisis and the few aid convoys that enter the enclave cannot meet the public demands.

“The Zionist enemy has adopted the policy of starvation against children and ordinary people in Gaza. The food convoys that have entered Gaza meet only 10% of the public demands,” Osama Hamdan, a member of the Palestinian resistance movement's Political Bureau, said at a press briefing in the Lebanese capital city of Beirut on Saturday evening.

“Mass killing of people, starvation and bombardment of hospitals are all meant to drive our compatriots out of northern Gaza. International, Muslim and Arab institutions must fulfill their responsibilities as regards the stoppage of the invaders’ crimes. Silence and inaction will push the situation towards further chaos and disorder.”

Hamdan said the Palestinian resistance factions have pledged not to back down from realization of their nation's ideals, the most significant of which are liberation of the Occupied Territories and full sovereignty over them.

“We will be a strong barrier against the plans of the invaders. Displacement will not be a matter of concern anymore, but rather liberation of our lands and return of people. We will deal a fatal blow to the invaders, and the entire world will soon hear the news of our victory,” the senior Hamas official noted.

He went on to point to the high number of casualties among Israeli military forces, stating that fighters from the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades have inflicted heavy blows on enemy forces and their armored vehicles.

“The Zionist enemy is committing crimes against the people of Gaza round the clock. The enemy perpetrates crimes in areas that it claims to be safe. Some 43% of the victims used to be residents of the southern sector of the Gaza Strip. The occupiers do not differentiate between residents of the northern and southern parts of the territory,” Hamdan said.

He said the regime has attacked the most sacred job in the world by bombing hospitals.

“Murders and crimes in Gaza have affected people from all walks of life, including aid workers and medical staff. What happened in the Shifa Hospital falls within the framework of crimes being committed by the occupying enemy. The invaders took away the bodies of a number of martyrs from inside the hospital to an unknown location,” the Hamas official said.

ME