International accusations against Israel of creating a deadly food crisis in Gaza

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) accused Israel on Thursday of deliberately restricting access to food and humanitarian aid in Gaza, causing a “manufactured malnutrition crisis” with devastating consequences, particularly for infants, pregnant women, and nursing mothers. This comes amid warnings of a potential collapse of the health system, with 47% of essential medicines now completely depleted. Meanwhile, Israeli forces killed two Palestinians and wounded several others in an attack targeting a security post west of Gaza City.

MSF stated that an analysis of the situation between late 2024 and early 2026 in four health facilities it supports in the Gaza Strip revealed significantly higher rates of premature births and infant deaths among malnourished mothers, as well as an increase in miscarriages. The organization attributed these findings to the Israeli blockade and attacks on civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities. In a statement, MSF said, “Insecurity, displacement, restrictions on humanitarian aid, and limited access to food and medical care have had devastating consequences for the health of mothers and newborns.” She added that the situation remains “extremely fragile,” despite the ceasefire in place since last October, and called on Israel to immediately allow unimpeded access for aid to Gaza. The statement quoted Mercy Rocaspana, the organization’s emergency medical officer, as saying that “the malnutrition crisis in Gaza is entirely man-made.” She emphasized that before the war on October 7, 2023, “malnutrition in Gaza was virtually nonexistent.”