The United Nations has condemned Israel’s intentional starvation of Palestinians in Gaza, declaring that famine is imminent. 

Following an unwarranted and violent massacre of Palestinians retrieving flour from aid trucks, the United Nations experts said that “Israel is not respecting its international legal obligations, is not complying with the provisional measures of the International Court of Justice and is committing atrocity crimes.”

What has been named the “flour massacre” is not the first attack on civilians attempting to acquire aid, according to the United Nations. 

“Israel systematically denies and restricts the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza by intercepting deliveries at checkpoints, bombing humanitarian convoys and shooting at civilians seeking humanitarian assistance,” U.N. experts said. 

Their reports also state that malnutrition is on the rise among Palestinian children, reporting that 15 children have already died of malnourishment at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza City. 

“As the risk of famine continues to rise, all children under 5 – 335,000 – are at high risk of severe malnutrition, with serious negative impact on their development and their right to health,” a United Nations report read. “At least 90 percent of children under 5 are affected by one or more infectious diseases, and 70 percent have diarrhea. In January, one in six infants (children under 2) in northern Gaza were found to be acutely malnourished, leading to a condition known as wasting.” 

The International Court of Justice granted permission for aid trucks to enter Gaza after recognizing the genocide Israel is committing against Palestinians. That decision was made on January 26 and only 57 aid trucks have entered Gaza between February 9 and February 21, whereas 147 were delivering aid daily before January 26, according to reports. 

The World Food Program chief has also said that famine in Gaza is imminent due to an immense lack of aid entering the region. 

“Right now, WFP is gravely concerned about humanitarian conditions across Gaza, particularly the north, which is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe,” United Nations World Food Program (WFP) Executive Director Cindy McCain said at the launch of “Food For Gaza”, according to reports.

Following recent aid dropped into Gaza, McCain said that aid via airdrops will not reach the amount of aid that is dire for the region.

“Road access and the use of existing ports and crossings is the only way to get aid into Gaza at the scale that is now required,” McCain said.