A newly launched examine is difficult the Worldwide Felony Court docket’s (ICC) investigation of hunger claims towards Israel and exposes the Hamas terror group’s function in controlling assist distribution.
Simply final week, because of Hamas terrorists’ refusal to increase the ceasefire deal and begin releasing the 59 hostages nonetheless held in Gaza, the Israeli authorities determined to halt all items and provides going into Gaza.
But regardless of howls of criticism from U.N. reduction chief Tom Fletcher, who referred to as the choice “alarming,” the Trump administration has given its blessing to the transfer.
Retired Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a former IDF worldwide spokesperson and now a senior fellow on the Basis for Protection of Democracies, dismissed claims of hunger, telling Fox Information Digital that Hamas hoards provides whereas Israel ensures assist enters. “Over 25,200 vehicles arrived through the ceasefire – sufficient for 4 months. If there’s starvation, it’s due to Hamas corruption, not an absence of meals,” he stated.
The examine revealed by Israeli public well being consultants, based mostly on knowledge from Israel’s Coordinator of Authorities Actions within the Territories (COGAT), challenges these claims, displaying no proof of famine or intentional deprivation.
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The market in Deir al-Balah within the heart of the Gaza Strip is teeming with distributors and buyers. (Majdi Fathi/TPS)
The examine, named “Meals equipped to Gaza throughout seven months of the Hamas-Israel struggle,” was led by diet and public well being consultants Aron Troen and Ronit Endevelt, together with researchers from a number of Israeli universities and the Ministry of Well being. The examine analyzed meals shipments into Gaza from January to July 2024.
Utilizing worldwide meals composition databases and the Sphere humanitarian requirements, they tracked calorie consumption, dietary worth, and humanitarian assist efforts, offering an goal, data-driven evaluation of meals provides delivered to Gaza through the first seven months of the struggle.
The analysis assessed meals shipments from international donors processed via COGAT. Every merchandise was categorized based mostly on its vitality content material, protein, fats and micronutrient composition. The overall dietary provide per capita was then measured towards worldwide benchmarks to make sure accuracy.
Hamas terrorists stand in formation as Palestinians collect on a road to observe the handover of three Israeli hostages to a Purple Cross staff in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, on Feb. 8, 2025. (Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto by way of Getty Photographs)
“We did not enter politics,” stated professor Ronit Endevelt. “We simply needed to know if, from a dietary perspective, the meals entering Gaza was adequate. We double-checked our knowledge a number of occasions to keep away from exaggeration.”
Between January and April 2024, 14,916 vehicles carrying 227,854 tons of meals entered Gaza, averaging 124 meals vehicles per day. The examine discovered that the every day per capita caloric provide averaged 3,374 kcal, with 101 grams of protein and 80.6 grams of fats – assembly or exceeding worldwide humanitarian meals assist requirements.
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“In March 2024, the United Nations Built-in Meals Safety Section Classification (IPC) warned of imminent famine in Gaza. Inside days, cautious technical language gave strategy to media headlines and political statements claiming mass hunger was already underway,” professor Troen advised Fox Information Digital.
“One of the vital persistent falsehoods has been the declare that earlier than the struggle, 500 or extra humanitarian vehicles entered Gaza every day, and that this quantity was essential to fulfill the inhabitants’s wants. In actuality, the variety of meals vehicles was round or fewer than 100 per day earlier than the struggle, and has since elevated considerably,” he continued. “Our examine aimed to handle that hole by analyzing verified meals shipments. The numbers present that whereas there have been variations, at no level did the meals provide drop to hunger ranges.”
A poultry stall available in the market in Deir al Balah within the heart of the Gaza Strip. (Majdi Fathi/TPS-IL)
When requested particularly about testimonies obtained by Fox Information Digital from Gazans who reported struggling to seek out meals on sure days, Endevelt acknowledged the examine didn’t observe ultimate distribution inside Gaza. “We will’t say there was no starvation, however we are able to affirm sufficient meals entered,” she stated. “More often than not, in most months, there was sufficient meals accessible.”
A key discovering of the examine is the excellence between meals provide and distribution. “Hamas systematically weaponized meals distribution, utilizing it as a software of management,” stated Endevelt. “Help usually didn’t attain these in want as a result of Hamas seized provides, bought them on the black market, or prioritized its personal fighters. Reviews of famine usually are not resulting from an absence of assist however Hamas’ deliberate technique of proscribing entry to take care of energy and revenue.”
Regardless of these findings, the ICC investigation and international criticism continued. “IPC reviews, extensively cited as proof towards Israel, failed to say Hamas’ function in manipulating assist,” Troen stated.
When requested by Fox Information Digital whether or not the brand new findings can be thought-about in its investigation, the ICC Workplace of the Prosecutor responded: “The ICC Workplace of the Prosecutor has a present and ongoing investigation in relation to the State of affairs within the State of Palestine. The Workplace’s investigations are constructed from a variety of sources. They will embody Article 15 communications, data from states, worldwide companions, and civil society, publicly accessible sources of knowledge, and the direct assortment of proof by the Workplace, together with interviews with witnesses.
Help is delivered from Israel to Gaza. (IDF Spokesman’s Unit)
“The Workplace is unable to offer additional data with respect to particulars of its investigative actions in response to your request at this stage. Confidentiality is a vital a part of our work and is important to guard the integrity of the investigations and to make sure the security and safety of victims, witnesses, and all these with whom the Workplace interacts.”
The U.N. spokesman referred Fox Information Digital to the Built-in Meals Safety Section Classification (IPC), which requested extra time to reply. Nevertheless, even after the extension was granted, no response was supplied.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan
Publishing the examine posed challenges. “Given the anti-Israel bias in components of the scientific group, we opted to undergo the Israeli Journal of Well being Coverage Analysis, a peer-reviewed journal beneath Springer Nature,” Troen stated. “We needed the info accessible shortly to enhance humanitarian efforts. Nevertheless, the political local weather made the overview course of unusually intense.”
“This was one of the vital rigorously reviewed research I’ve ever labored on,” Endevelt added. “We had 5 reviewers, way over common, and months of back-and-forth revisions to make sure absolute accuracy.”
The analysis staff, together with consultants from Hebrew College, Ben-Gurion College, Tel Aviv College and Haifa College, carried out the examine with a dedication to scientific rigor. The paper, now extensively cited, underscores the significance of clear knowledge in evaluating humanitarian crises.
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“One factor is evident: given the quantity of meals getting into Gaza and ongoing reviews of starvation, distribution should be improved,” Troen concluded. “Efficient cooperation between U.N. companies, COGAT, and Palestinian civil society, with out Hamas’ interference, is essential to making sure assist reaches those that want it most.”
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