All bakeries in the Gaza Strip have indefinitely suspended operations due to an acute shortage of flour and fuel caused by a month-long Israeli blockade that has prevented the entry of essential supplies.

According to Abd al-Nasser al-Ajrami, chairman of the Gaza Bakery Association, the closures affect all bakeries participating in the World Food Programme (WFP), exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation. The last remaining bakeries in the southern part of the enclave ceased operations yesterday, with those in central and northern Gaza expected to follow suit today.

Al-Ajrami described the crisis as an “ongoing hunger war,” emphasizing that the blockade has not only led to severe shortages of flour and fuel but also essential baking ingredients such as yeast. He warned that living conditions in Gaza, already devastated by persistent Israeli aggression, have deteriorated further as residents now face an alarming scarcity of cooking gas.

Widespread Shortages and Infrastructure Damage

The Gaza Strip typically requires 450 tons of flour daily, with bakeries supplying nearly half of the population’s needs. The area once had 140 operational bakeries, 70 of which were automated, but Israeli airstrikes have damaged many, especially in northern Gaza. The destruction has resulted in millions of dollars in losses, further crippling the region’s food supply infrastructure.

Government Media Office Warns of Famine

The Gaza Government Media Office has warned that the continued Israeli blockade is pushing the enclave toward an imminent famine crisis. The office condemned the siege as “part of Israel’s ongoing genocide” and stressed that 2.4 million Palestinians, particularly children, the elderly, and the sick, are now at extreme risk of starvation.

The statement accused the Israeli government of committing war crimes by imposing a total blockade on flour, humanitarian aid, and fuel, leading to mass starvation. It further asserted that this act violates international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit the use of starvation as a weapon of war against civilians.

Calls for International Intervention

The Gaza Government Media Office placed responsibility on the US administration for enabling the humanitarian crisis and urged the international community, the United Nations, and human rights organizations to intervene immediately. It called for urgent measures to prevent Israel from using food and fuel as tools of collective punishment against the Palestinian population.

“This suffocating siege will not break the will of the Palestinian people or force them to concede their legitimate rights. Instead, it will only strengthen their resilience in the face of oppression and genocide,” the office stated.

As the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsens, calls for an immediate lifting of the blockade and the provision of emergency aid continue to grow. The international community faces increasing pressure to act before the crisis escalates into an irreversible catastrophe. (ILKHA)