At a press conference this week, the head of the Network, Muhammad Aboushi, accused Israel of using hunger as a weapon of war, which is prohibited by international conventions.

During the event, a video of the head of the Network in Gaza, Amjad Shawa, was released, and in which he warned about the serious humanitarian situation. Shawa denounced the escalation of violence by the Israeli Army, its attacks against the civilian population, as well as the restrictions and blockades imposed on the entry of humanitarian aid.

“Declaring famine is not a technical issue related to indicators that must be tested, it is the reality experienced by the people of Gaza,” said the executive director of the Bisan Center for Research and Development, Abu Al-Aboudi.

Helmi Al-Araj of the Council of Human Rights Organizations criticized Israel for preventing the entry of vital goods, which violates international law.

In mid-May, the Palestinian Network of Non-Governmental Organizations sent a letter to the Palestinian Prime Minister, Muhammad Mustafa, asking him to declare the territory a disaster area, and warning about hunger and serious food shortages to which Palestinians are exposed, the increase in malnutrition, especially among children, and the high mortality rates due to diseases derived from the war.

It also warned about the difficulty of access to medical and health care, the serious environmental pollution derived from the destruction of sewage networks, the inability of municipalities to remove solid waste and the presence of thousands of bodies under rubble.

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