Tears of the hungry

Children battling for food as UN admits it is 'plausible Israel using starvation as weapon'

- Mark Reynolds

FAMISHED Palestinian children battled through desperate crowds to plead for food yesterday, as the United Nations warned Israel could be using starvation as a weapon of war.

The sight of the sobbing youngsters fighting for supplies distributed by charities in Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp is among increasingly heartbreaking scenes played out across the territory.

More than two million people trapped in the Gaza Strip are facing famine amid Israel's bombardment following Hamas's October 7 atrocity in the Jewish state last year.

Yesterday, the UN's most senior human rights chief, Volker Turk, said Israel bore significant blame for the rising famine and there was a "plausible" case that it was weaponising starvation.

Referring to the lack of aid getting into Gaza, Mr Turk said: "All of my humanitarian colleagues keep telling us that there is a lot of red tape.

Barrage

"There are obstacles. There are hindrances...Israel is to blame in a significant way.