Blockade and Bread: Legal Dimensions of Starvation as a Weapon in Gaza

This article examines the ongoing humanitarian and legal crisis resulting from the Israeli siege and blockade of the Gaza Strip, focusing on the deliberate starvation of civilians. After the events of the 7th of October 2023, Israel imposed a siege and blockade on Gaza—a tactic it has frequently employed in past conflicts—resulting in a severe deterioration of humanitarian conditions, widespread starvation among civilians, including infants and children, leading the situation to escalate to genocide. The siege has exacerbated food insecurity, leading to acute malnutrition, widespread famine, and thousands of civilian deaths, including more than 18,000 children by mid-2025. This article analyzes the impact of the blockade on food security dimensions, availability, access, utilization, and stability, and highlights the ensuing public health disaster. It further explores relevant international legal frameworks, including international humanitarian law, the Geneva Conventions, the Rome Statute, and human rights treaties, emphasizing that the use of starvation as a method of warfare constitutes a war crime and potentially genocide. The article critiques Israel’s policies, citing violations of customary law and international obligations, and considers recent rulings by the International Court of Justice that call for urgent remedial actions, as well as the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Israeli officials. By integrating factual data with legal analysis, this work demonstrates that the Gaza siege’s strategic starvation of civilians not only breaches international legal standards but also inflicts long-term damage on a vulnerable population. This paper urges the international community to intensify efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis and to ensure accountability for those responsible for these grave violations.