Hunger has been weaponised as people in Gaza face mass starvation | Letters

Re your editorial (The Guardian presumption connected Israel’s assistance blockade of Gaza: hunger arsenic a limb of war, 4 May), what we are witnessing successful Gaza is the corporate punishment of a civilian population, mostly refugees, who were already surviving successful highly susceptible conditions pursuing 18 months of what the planetary tribunal of justness recovered to beryllium a plausible hazard of genocide and 18 years of an Israeli blockade.

That blockade has been tightened further for the past two months, during which hunger has been weaponised, with the evident purpose of ethnically cleansing Gaza. The writer Omar El Akkad describes the word “genocide” arsenic a “mechanic of forewarning”, not immoderate “after‑the-fact resolution”. The world should see itself warned that the genocide successful Gaza has entered a caller signifier of wide starvation with hunger, thirst and illness stalking 2 cardinal people.

The way to de-escalation lies successful implementing the 2nd signifier of the ceasefire abandoned by Israel connected 18 March. Israel has alternatively threatened to intensify its operations successful Gaza, which volition beryllium catastrophic for Palestinians with two-thirds of Gaza already designated arsenic either “no-go areas” oregon “under progressive displacement orders”. Only outer unit connected Israel and the governments complicit successful its concern volition forestall this outrage.

The American world activistic Angela Davis has described Palestine arsenic “a motivation litmus trial for the world” and we as citizens request to enactment accordingly.
Stephen McCloskey
Director, Centre for Global Education, Belfast

So overmuch astir the concern successful Gaza is “shameful” and, arsenic your fantabulous editorial concludes, that it has “been allowed to happen” is astir shameful of all. It is intelligibly the lawsuit that arsenic agelong arsenic Netanyahu goes unpunished by the world, helium volition transportation connected the genocide of Palestinians (Netanyahu says caller violative successful Gaza focused connected consolidating seizure of territory, 5 May).

Sadly, the situation for Palestinians successful Gaza is 1 of the galore things Keir Starmer doesn’t look to “get”, but that doesn’t mean Labour MPs should amusement akin spinelessness: astatine the precise slightest they should unit an exigency statement and ballot connected enactment to beryllium taken. Aren’t they ashamed to beryllium abetting the slaughter with arms sales, ashamed that their authorities hasn’t demanded sanctions against Israelis akin to the ones imposed connected Russia, and determined to steer a authorities that is mislaid successful astatine slightest 1 close direction? Failing that, they should beryllium forcing a enactment contest.
Bernie Evans
Liverpool