Peak hunger group declares 500,000 hit by famine in Gaza
By David Crowe
London: Almost a quarter of the Palestinians in Gaza are experiencing famine and the number of those suffering is likely to surpass 600,000 within weeks, the world’s peak hunger monitor has warned.
The formal warning from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system, which is backed by the United Nations and major aid groups, comes as Australia steps up criticism of the Israeli government in a rebuke over its plans for a controversial settlement in the West Bank.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
The organisation said 514,000 people – nearly a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza – were experiencing famine and this was due to rise to 641,000 by the end of September.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the famine was a “man-made disaster, a moral indictment, and a failure of humanity itself”.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry denied there was a famine, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling the report an “outright lie”.
The famine warning came the day after Australia joined a global statement that accuses Israel of violating international law with a major plan to divide Palestinian territories east of Jerusalem, amid Israeli claims it will “erase” the prospect of a Palestinian state.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong signed up to a statement from 20 nations to condemn the plan to build thousands of Israeli homes in the so-called E1 project in the West Bank, after it gained formal approval from authorities.
Wong’s support for the joint statement on the West Bank project marks another strong criticism of the Israeli government in a deepening diplomatic split, after a sharply personal attack from Netanyahu on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese this week.
The statement also highlights the international shift against Netanyahu and his government among developed nations that are warning against the scale of destruction in Gaza. Many plan to recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in New York next month.
“The decision by the Israeli Higher Planning Committee to approve plans for settlement construction in the E1 area, East of Jerusalem, is unacceptable and a violation of international law,” the statement said.
“We condemn this decision and call for its immediate reversal in the strongest terms.”
The separation wall next to the Arab neighborhood of Al-Eizariya, near where the Israeli government says housing units will be built as part of the E1 settlement development project.Credit: AP
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy issued the statement in London late on Thursday (early Friday AEST) and urged Israel to reverse the approval for new construction. He called in the Israeli ambassador in London to deliver the message personally.
The statement was signed by Wong as well as foreign ministers from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the European Commission.
They chose to issue their statement after a crucial decision by Israeli authorities on Wednesday to approve the construction, which has been controversial for years.
The E1 project would cut the West Bank from East Jerusalem and present a barrier to Palestinians seeking to move from one part of the territory to another. It involves the construction of about 3400 new housing units.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich deepened the concerns in the 20 nations, which have criticised the E1 proposal in the past, by declaring it would prevent the creation of a Palestinian state.
“With E1, we are delivering finally on what has been promised for years,” said Smotrich, an ultra-nationalist in the coalition government led by Netanyahu.
“The Palestinian state is being erased from the table, not with slogans but with actions.”
United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric warned against the construction, while the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said the E1 settlement would isolate Palestinian communities living in the area and undermine the possibility of a two-state solution.
Netanyahu aired his view on housing construction in contested areas during a visit on Sunday to Ofra, another West Bank settlement.
“I said 25 years ago that we will do everything to secure our grip on the Land of Israel, to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, to prevent the attempts to uproot us from here. Thank God, what I promised, we have delivered,” he said.
The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council criticised the timing of the E1 decision and the comments by Smotrich.
“Israel’s announcement last week about the E1 extension of Ma’ale Adumim was unhelpful, as were Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s ill-advised and incorrect comments about E1’s impact on a two-state outcome,” the council’s executive director, Colin Rubenstein, said.
“That said, allegations that building in E1 would be a violation of international law are at least disputed, while accusations that the proposed E1 construction would cut the West Bank in half are simply incorrect.
“What’s more, every peace proposal, including those made by numerous US administrations, has included E1 as an area that Israel will retain in any two-state outcome.”
Rubenstein said Western countries were isolating Israel rather than addressing its security needs, arguing this was providing opportunities for hardliners in Israel to take actions they would not normally have room to make.
Israel cites historical and biblical ties to the area and says the settlements provide strategic depth and security. Most of the global community considers all settlements illegal under international law. Israel rejects this interpretation, saying the West Bank is “disputed” rather than “occupied” territory.
Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand imposed sanctions in June on Smotrich and another far-right minister who advocates settlement expansion, accusing them of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Joint Statement of Foreign Ministers on E1 plans
The decision by the Israeli Higher Planning Committee to approve plans for settlement construction in the E1 area, East of Jerusalem, is unacceptable and a violation of international law.
We condemn this decision and call for its immediate reversal in the strongest terms. Minister Smotrich says this plan will make a two-state solution impossible by dividing any Palestinian state and restricting Palestinian access to Jerusalem.
This brings no benefits to the Israeli people. Instead, it risks undermining security and fuels further violence and instability, taking us further away from peace.
The Government of Israel still has an opportunity to stop the E1 plan going any further.We encourage them to urgently retract this plan.
With Reuters
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