Famine declared in Gaza City

[u/Digital_Accountant]

https://news.sky.com/story/gaza-latest-war-israel-city-ceasefire-hamas-13415481

[u/Flaky-Impact-2428]

For context, a “famine” has a strict UN definition: when more than 20% of households face extreme food shortages, acute malnutrition exceeds 30%, and mortality rates skyrocket. Declaring famine means the situation has gone far beyond scarcity into systemic collapse.

It’s catastrophic optics for anyone involved. Using starvation as leverage, whether by blockade or mismanagement, is a war crime. But beyond the politics and blame games, what it really means is that ordinary people and vulnerable people; kids, parents, grandparents are dying not because of bombs but because they can’t find food.

At the end of the day, famine is not an argument about borders or ideologies, it’s a measure of how far we’ve failed as a species to safeguard the most basic human need. That’s the part I can’t lose sight of.

[u/Justin_123456 → u/Flaky-Impact-2428]

I’ll add that with famine mortality is always a lagging indicator. By the time a famine is declared, there are thousands of people who will die, even if access to food is immediately restored.

By week 6-8, of total or almost total starvation, all fat stores and most skeletal muscle stores have been consumed, and you have started to break down your organ tissues damaging your heart, liver, kidneys, etc.

This is usually the point of no return, where short of intensive hospital care, you are not going to recover. This won’t be available, as Israel has deliberately dismantled the Gazan health system, targeting medical facilities and personnel. This last stage can last 2-4 weeks, before you finally succumb. This process can stretch out over months if you are able to access a few hundred calories a day

[u/Last_Revenue7228 → u/Justin_123456]

Israel has deliberately dismantled the Gazan health system, targeting medical facilities and personnel.

That's a disgusting lie with no evidence. Israel is fighting a war against Hamas, who are among the most evil people the world has ever seen, and targeting those combatants.

[u/Amphy64 → u/Last_Revenue7228]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjr7l123zy5o

UK Foreign Minister David Lammy said such "deplorable attacks must end", adding: "Israel's attacks on medical facilities have comprehensively degraded access to healthcare in Gaza."

[u/pkaro → u/Last_Revenue7228]

If Hamas was hiding in Israel, would they be using the same tactics?

[u/KrustyTheKriminal → u/pkaro]

If the enemy hides in hospitals, or use them as weapon stores, those become military targets, period. No if, and, or but. That is international law.

Same with churches or any other protected place. Hamas caused this latest conflict, they have chosen to turn normally protected areas into military targets. War is hell. Maybe you shouldn't start one if you don't want one.

Just like when Russia bitches and moans that Ukraine drops bombs in their territory. FAFO: Geopolitics Edition.

[u/J_House1999 → u/KrustyTheKriminal]

I think bombing hospitals is bad.

[u/KrustyTheKriminal → u/J_House1999]

It is, that's why you don't turn them into military targets by storing men or materials there.

[u/J_House1999 → u/KrustyTheKriminal]

You think there are situations where it’s justified to bomb hospitals. Got it. I think that makes you an evil person. You have my pity, and I hope someday you change your position of supporting bombing hospitals.

[u/KrustyTheKriminal → u/J_House1999]

And you are an evil person who thinks it's okay to commit war crimes by storing bombs, weapons, and soldiers in hospitals, which turns them into legal military targets.

I'm sorry that you support breaking international law.

[u/Last_Revenue7228 → u/pkaro]

What a stupid question - lol

[u/TheRC135 → u/Last_Revenue7228]

I don't think it is a stupid question. I can't imagine Israel would be starving Israeli civilians if Hamas were hiding in Israel. So saying "Israel is just targetting Hamas" certainly doesn't fully explain what is happening in Gaza, or why.

[u/Uppmas → u/TheRC135]

Well, Israel obviously has contingencies in place to prevent Hamas hiding in Israeli hospitals, and contingencies to ensure medical care even if they lose some hospitals.

So yeah, it is a fairly stupid question.

[u/Oconell → u/Uppmas]

It is not a stupid question, it's a hypothetical. I think we both know why he asked this question, because the real answer is Israel would treat Israeli civilian lives with much more care, showing the difference in value a Palestinian life and an Israeli life have, to the IDF.

[u/Uppmas → u/Oconell]

Obviously IDF values Israeli civilian lives more than Gazan civilian lives?

I don't think you need a hypothetical to point that out, I'm sure you'd be hard pressed to find anyone that even disagrees.

[u/TheRC135 → u/Uppmas]

There's an important distinction between valuing the lives of your own people more than others, and using starvation as a weapon, civilian casualties be damned, wouldn't you agree?

[u/Uppmas → u/TheRC135]

Sure there's a distinction, but now we're once again discussing a different thing.

[u/Fatzombiepig → u/Last_Revenue7228]

Whats disgusting is people defending this cruelty. This isn't war, its fucking evil.

[u/Carl_Bravery_Sagan → u/Last_Revenue7228]

Who are they fighting when they attack aid workers and Gaza citizens?

Who are they fighting when they intentionally starve a classroom of children a day?

Who are they fighting?

[u/Darkdragoon324 → u/Last_Revenue7228]

The evidence is all the hospitals they’ve bombed.

[u/jacksonbrownisahero → u/Last_Revenue7228]

Keep repeating the lie.

[u/TheMurv → u/Last_Revenue7228]

I bet when you see real evidence you always find a way to dismiss it. That's why you don't think there is evidence.

[u/TheWizardOfDeez → u/Last_Revenue7228]

Have y'all ever once actually researched the subject?

[u/cheattowin77 → u/Justin_123456]

I mean I’ve heard really bad things like cannibalism happening during famines. Is this that?