Israel must immediately lift its restrictions on food to some 2 million people in Gaza – including the entire population of 320,000 children under the age of five – and ensure the delivery of medical supplies and other aid necessary to address mass starvation, said Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and the Global Human Rights Clinic (GHRC) at the University of Chicago Law School.
Israel’s prolonged restriction on humanitarian aid to Gaza, culminating in a full blockade from early March to late May 2025, has created famine-like conditions for over a quarter of the 2 million Palestinians living in Gaza and resulted in an emergency level of hunger for the remaining 1.5 million.
Malnutrition drastically weakens the body’s systems, causing muscle wasting, cardiac dysfunction, gastrointestinal damage, and weakening of the immune system. Victims of war-related trauma require significantly more energy to recover, but the extreme food shortage and starvation denies them even the minimum survivable amount of calories and vital nutrients, exacerbating injuries and restricting their ability to heal.
“In conflict zones, a lack of food doesn’t just cause hunger, it kills by shutting down the body’s ability to survive anything – trauma, infection, or even a common cold. You can stitch a wound or set a bone but without food, the body cannot actually heal,” said Rohini Haar, MD, MPH, medical advisor for PHR.
Reintroducing food to starved individuals can be dangerous if done too rapidly and without medical oversight. An unsystematic process risks triggering refeeding syndrome, a potentially fatal condition that occurs when food is reintroduced too quickly without the supervision of qualified medical personnel.
To mitigate this risk, food aid must not only be unimpeded but also consistent, nutritionally complete, and in accordance with international guidelines, such as the 2006 guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and the updated guidelines published by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the management of severe malnutrition in infants and children.
Additionally, the availability of necessary medical supplies and trained health care providers is essential to safely manage refeeding and treat its potential complications in those with severe malnutrition. Restrictions on medical supplies and attacks on health care in Gaza have already significantly deteriorated the health system beyond the breaking point. Access to food must be coupled with medical supplies and other aid to adequately address mass starvation.
“Starvation as a method of warfare is a war crime under international law,” said Anjli Parrin, JD, assistant clinical professor of law and director of the GHRC. “What we are seeing in Gaza is the complete breakdown of conditions necessary for the sustaining of life. Israel, as the occupying power, and all relevant stakeholders must immediately ensure unimpeded access to food, medical supplies, and other aid.”
Health care workers in Gaza who spoke with PHR and the GHRC have witnessed the impacts of malnutrition on patients firsthand. Many patients have lost significant amounts of weight and appear wasted, are suffering from anemia and iron deficiencies, and are unable to heal from their injuries, especially when traumatic.
“The situation is beyond comprehension. We are receiving daily mass casualties of very obviously malnourished civilians from aid sites. They are shot with what appears to me to be clear intention, often showing up in waves of single gunshot wounds to the head, scrotum, or abdomen. Some have clearly been shot while lying down, with bullet entries in the top of the head,” said Dr. Travis Melin, an American anesthesiologist and critical care physician currently volunteering at Nasser Hospital in Gaza. “Everyone here is extremely malnourished, and bodies simply cannot heal from traumatic injuries without calories, and especially without protein. I’ve been here for two months and can tell you protein can’t be found here.”
PHR and the GHRC urge all parties, and in particular Israel as the occupying power, to ensure the immediate and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza as required by the ruling of the International Court of Justice and in a manner that is impartial, depoliticized, and in accordance with core humanitarian principles. Medical supplies must not be unduly restricted or delayed through inclusion in “dual use” lists or other policies or practices that prohibit their delivery into Gaza.
PHR and the GHRC also call for the establishment of a stable and long-term food delivery system that meets the WHO’s nutritional standards and is implemented under the close supervision of qualified medical and nutrition professionals to manage food reintroduction in vulnerable populations and prevent the risks associated with refeeding.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here.