"World Leaders Warn of ‘Unfolding Genocide’ as Israel’s Blockade Intensifies Famine in Gaza"
"The Elders call for urgent access through Rafah amid reports that Israel is blocking over 430 food items and striking food distribution points, fuelling mass starvation."
Global, PUREWILAYAH.COM - Two parallel developments have sharply intensified global concern over the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.
First, The Elders, a group of respected global states-people founded by Nelson Mandela, have characterised the situation in Gaza as an "unfolding genocide." Following a visit to the Rafah border crossing between August 9–12, their statement condemned Israel’s deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid, which has precipitated a man-made famine. Delegates Mary Robinson and Helen Clark highlighted that 222 people have died of starvation, including 101 children, as newborns and new mothers struggle amid a collapsing healthcare system. They urged the immediate reopening of Rafah to allow life-saving aid to reach civilians.
Meanwhile, the Gaza Government Media Office reported that Israel is still blocking more than 430 food items from entering the besieged territory. The banned goods include frozen meat, fish, dairy products, and frozen fruits and vegetables—vital sources of nutrition for the starving population. Although some aid was allowed through under pressure on July 27, broad restrictions on essential supplies remain. The statement also accused Israeli authorities of deliberately bombing 44 food banks—killing dozens of aid workers—and striking 57 food distribution centers. The situation has now reached Famine (IPC Phase 5) levels, with one in three individuals going without food for days. Shockingly, nearly 1,500 people have been killed and over 4,000 injured while seeking aid at centers run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation since late May 2025.
These reports underscore a deliberately orchestrated collapse of basic survival systems in Gaza. The blockage of fundamental foodstuffs and attacks on distribution infrastructure combine to create a humanitarian crisis on an unprecedented scale.
Context & Global Urgency
This situation comes amid mounting international condemnation and pressure. Humanitarian agencies such as the UN, WHO, and 25 foreign ministers—including from the UK, France, and Japan—have issued urgent calls for a "flood" of aid into Gaza to prevent further mass starvation.
In this context, The Elders' statement adds significant moral weight. They assert that global leaders both have the power—and the legal duty—to force Israel to end its obstruction of aid and allow safe passage through Rafah.
What This Means
Access to Aid: Opening the Rafah crossing is vital to allow aid convoys to deliver food, medicine, and essential support to a population facing catastrophic hunger.
International Law: The blockage of food, destruction of distribution centers, and failure to ensure aid access raise serious legal and ethical concerns under international humanitarian law.
Survival at Stake: With famine conditions already realised, every hour matters in preventing further deaths, displacement, and long-term collapse of Gaza’s social and health systems.
In summary, as world leaders call this a potential genocide in progress, the continuing blockage of food and lethal attacks on aid operations in Gaza demands urgent global action—both humanitarian and political—to halt the unfolding catastrophe. (PW)
Source: PressTv