AhlulBayt News Agency: Mohammad Shafi, National Vice President of the Social Democratic Party of India, expresses deep sorrow and resolute condemnation over the starvation deaths of 127 Palestinians in Gaza, including 85 innocent children, as of today. This mounting toll is not an unfortunate side-effect of war but the result of deliberate policies rooted in cruelty and impunity. The blockade imposed by Israel, along with its unrelenting military assault, has transformed Gaza into an open-air graveyard. The world cannot look away. The intentional starvation of children is a stain on the conscience of humanity and a grave violation of international law that demands urgent and decisive global action.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has enforced a total siege on Gaza, cutting off all access to food, water, fuel, and medical supplies. This siege has plunged over 2.1 million Palestinians into conditions of extreme deprivation and despair. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, more than 52,000 people have been killed during this period. Gaza’s hospitals, starved of even the most basic resources, have been rendered incapable of treating victims of malnutrition or war injuries. In a chilling development, more than 1,000 Palestinians have reportedly been shot and killed while attempting to collect aid at distribution points—many of which, it is alleged, are being manipulated as tools of control rather than channels of relief. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, under growing criticism, has been cited as a possible extension of this larger strategy of domination and displacement.
International human rights bodies have not been silent. Amnesty International, in its December 2024 report, identified these acts as constituting genocide, a charge that was reinforced by the International Court of Justice in January 2024, which found a "plausible" case of genocide committed against Palestinians in Gaza. Yet, despite such damning findings, aid remains systematically blocked. Tonnes of life-saving supplies lie stranded at Gaza’s borders, and the so-called “humanitarian city” being constructed in Rafah is widely viewed as a pretext for mass expulsion—an engineered exodus that echoes the darkest chapters of forced displacement in modern history.
The role of global powers in this crisis is equally alarming. The United States, in open defiance of global appeals, continues to supply billions of dollars in military aid to Israel while repeatedly using its veto at the United Nations to obstruct ceasefire resolutions. Germany, meanwhile, has provided $100 million in arms sales to Israel in 2024 alone, using historical guilt as a shield for its complicity. At the same time, Germany has waged an aggressive campaign against pro-Palestinian voices, criminalizing dissent by equating all criticism of Israel with antisemitism. These actions not only violate international humanitarian norms but also provide Israel with a dangerous sense of impunity.
The Social Democratic Party of India unequivocally demands an immediate and unconditional end to Israel’s blockade of Gaza, and the full opening of corridors for United Nations-led humanitarian aid. A permanent ceasefire must be enforced without delay to halt the bloodshed and allow for relief and recovery. The international community must rise to its legal and moral obligations by supporting the genocide case at the International Court of Justice and cooperating with investigations by the International Criminal Court. All civilians and humanitarian workers, especially those affiliated with the Palestine Red Crescent Society and the World Health Organization, must be offered immediate protection. In parallel, the silencing of independent journalism must end—journalists must be allowed access to Gaza to bear witness to and document the ongoing atrocities.
In this hour of crisis, India and the broader Global South must not remain passive. They must take the lead in demanding accountability, pressing for sanctions, and reinforcing the foundational principles of humanitarian law. Justice cannot be deferred any longer. The world must act—boldly, urgently, and with moral clarity—to stop the starvation, end the siege, and restore dignity to the Palestinian people.
Your Comment