Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, entered the 20th day of his hunger strike on Sunday, issuing a searing plea to world leaders to end Israel’s suffocating siege and halt the systematic starvation of over two million Palestinians.

From the heart of Gaza, where famine and oppression grip the population, Basal’s strike is a desperate act of defiance against the international community’s silence in the face of what he calls “the crime of the century.”

In a powerful statement, Basal condemned Arab and Western leaders for their inaction, accusing them of sitting idly in “air-conditioned parliaments” while Gaza’s people are driven to famine. “How do you sit in seats of governance and let an entire people be led to starvation?” he asked, addressing global leaders directly. “Your parliaments convene to pass laws, but not to save two million people suffocating under siege. History will not forgive you, and future generations will curse your silence.”

Basal’s hunger strike, now in its third week, underscores the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Israel’s blockade has choked off access to food, medicine, and basic necessities. According to local health authorities, over 61,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, with 150,000 injured and entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble. The United Nations has warned that nearly 600,000 Gazans face imminent death from hunger-related illnesses, with over 70,000 children requiring urgent treatment for malnutrition.

“You hold the decision,” Basal declared, urging leaders to open Gaza’s crossings, break the siege, and stop the massacre. “You have chosen to be false witnesses to the crime of the century,” he charged, accusing world powers of complicity through their inaction. His words resonate with growing outrage on social media platform X, where users have amplified his message, with one post stating: “Mahmoud Basal’s hunger strike is a cry for Gaza’s survival. The world’s silence is deafening.”

Basal’s strike is a direct response to Israel’s use of hunger as a weapon of war, with aid distribution points repeatedly targeted and turned into “killing zones,” according to local reports. He vowed to continue his protest until Gaza’s plight reaches “the last parliament, the last hall of governance, and the last conscience that has not yet died.” His message is a stark warning: “Stop this famine before the children of Gaza turn into numbers in mass graves.”

Palestinian activists have hailed Basal as a symbol of resistance, with community leaders calling for global solidarity to pressure Israel to lift the blockade. “Mahmoud is risking his life to wake the world’s conscience,” said a Gaza-based organizer. “The international community must act now to end this genocide.”

As Basal’s health deteriorates, his resolve remains unshaken, embodying the resilience of a people facing relentless oppression. The world now watches as Gaza’s cry for justice grows louder, with Basal’s hunger strike serving as a powerful indictment of global leaders’ failure to act. Palestinians and their supporters are urging immediate action to open humanitarian corridors and end the siege, warning that history will judge those who remain silent in the face of such atrocities. (ILKHA)