Geneva, May 18th 2025
Urgent Call for Action to End Starvation in Gaza and Ensure Humanitarian Access
We, the undersigned Parliamentarians from around the globe, express our grave concern over the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, where deliberate policies and obstruction of humanitarian aid have resulted in famine-like conditions. We call upon the governments of Israel and Egypt to immediately open all crossings to Gaza, including the Rafah crossing, to allow the unimpeded delivery of food, medical supplies, and essential aid.
Starvation as a Weapon of War
Since October 2023, and escalating through 2024 and into 2025, Israel has enforced a near-total blockade on Gaza, restricting the entry of food, fuel, medicine, and humanitarian aid. These actions have led to catastrophic hunger levels, with over 2 million civilians now struggling to survive on minimal, nutrient-deficient food supplies.
According to the UN World Food Program (WFP), food supplies in Gaza have run out, leaving over 80% of the population reliant on non-existent aid.
UNICEF officials described scenes where children were so malnourished they lacked the energy to cry.
Save the Children confirmed that at least 3,100 children under the age of five have been killed, with many others facing life-threatening malnutrition. Overall, more than 14,500 children have been killed during the ongoing conflict, according to verified reports, with starvation and preventable disease now claiming additional young lives each day.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory declared: “Children are dying from hunger,” as famine conditions intensified.
The UN has also confirmed the starvation deaths of at least 20 children, including infants, due to the total lack of food and medical support.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned that Israel’s restriction of aid could amount to using “starvation as a method of warfare”—a war crime under international law.
International Legal Framework
International humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, explicitly prohibits the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and obligates the occupying power to allow humanitarian assistance and ensure access to food and medical supplies.
The UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices has stated that Israel’s blockade shows “reasonable grounds” for concluding that starvation is being used as a method of genocide.
Egypt’s Vital Legal and Moral Responsibility
While Egypt is not the occupying power in Gaza, it bears direct responsibility under international humanitarian law, as a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, to facilitate humanitarian aid to civilians facing starvation.
The Rafah border crossing — under Egyptian control — represents the only viable humanitarian lifeline for the 2.2 million Palestinians trapped inside Gaza.
Egypt’s refusal or obstruction to fully open Rafah and allow unrestricted humanitarian access contributes to the worsening famine and suffering.
Neutrality is not an option when lives hang in the balance.
We urge Egypt to fulfill its obligations by immediately opening the Rafah crossing, ensuring the swift and unconditional flow of food, medicine, fuel, and humanitarian personnel into Gaza.
Our Demands
We, the undersigned Parliamentarians, demand:
1. Immediate and unconditional opening of all crossings into Gaza, including the Rafah crossing.
2. Cessation of all obstructions to humanitarian aid, food, fuel, water, and medicine by any party.
3. Guarantees for the safety of humanitarian workers and the facilitation of their operations on the ground.
4. International monitoring to ensure compliance with humanitarian law and prevent the use of starvation as a tool of war.
Contacts / Coordination:
Geneva Centre for Democracy & Human Rights
Rue de l’ Est 6 CH- 1207 Geneva ;
Office : +41 22 760 0204 Mobiles : Claire TIERNEY 079 286 08 71 / Anouar GHARBI : 079 246 57 03
Please send confirmation to : z@zisyadis.ch or Tierneyclaire@sunrise.ch or anouar.gharbi@bluewin.ch
Deadline May 20th