In 1991, when I made my initial journey into Gaza via the Erez checkpoint, the scene was rather mundane: a handful of Israeli soldiers idling in a shed, scrutinizing identification cards before granting passage. Visitors were then permitted to proceed with their vehicles through a gap in the barbed wire, ushering them into Gaza.
Over time, the Erez checkpoint transformed into a polished terminal, boasting intricate layers of concrete walls, defenses, and steel gates, all adorned with numerous CCTV cameras. Access through Erez became restricted, reserved only for the most trusted and privileged individuals. Journalists were compelled to traverse on foot, lugging their bags alongside them.
My training data only goes up until January 2022, so I can’t provide current information. As of my last update, Hamas was designated as a terrorist organization by some countries and entities, including Israel, the United States, and the European Union, among others.
In an effort to appease President Joe Biden following the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen charity workers at the hands of the IDF, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to resume access through Erez for humanitarian convoys.
This holds significance as it presents the most direct route to deliver assistance to approximately 300,000 Palestinians residing in northern Gaza. The IPC, a leading gauge of food crises, has cautioned that famine could engulf the region within the next four weeks. David Satterfield, Joe Biden’s envoy for humanitarian efforts in Gaza, underscored on Wednesday the looming threat of famine facing the majority, if not all, of Gaza’s 2.2 million inhabitants.
The famine has been precipitated by the blockade enforced by Israel shortly after the attacks on October 7. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated at the time, “I have ordered a total blockade on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed.”
Over six months, Israel has been compelled by international pressure to permit limited supplies of aid into Gaza. However, these efforts have fallen far short of meeting the region’s needs. Israel has contended, albeit inaccurately, that hunger in Gaza stems from Hamas pilfering and hoarding aid, coupled with the UN’s purported failure to adequately distribute what remains.
Despite mounting evidence of famine in Gaza, staunch supporters of Prime Minister Netanyahu persist in denying its existence. Boaz Bismuth, an MP, asserted during a conversation at Israel’s parliament that there is no famine in Gaza, dismissing allegations of Israeli involvement in starving civilians as rooted in antisemitism. Nonetheless, the overwhelming evidence points to the contrary.