STORY: Palestine condemns Israel's use of starvation as weapon in Gaza
SHOOTING TIME: March 15, 2024
DATELINE: March 17, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:47
LOCATION: GAZA, Palestine
CATEGORY: POLITICS/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Gaza
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): MOHAMED MAHRAN, Displaced Gazan
3. various of locals
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): NAGLAA, Displaced Gazan

STORYLINE:

The Palestinian Ministry of National Economy on Friday condemned Israel for using starvation as a weapon in its war in the Gaza Strip for more than five months.

It highlighted the sharp and unprecedented rise in the cost of living index in the Gaza Strip as a result of the prolonged conflict, recording a staggering increase of 111 percent since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, 2023.
  
SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): MOHAMED MAHRAN, Displaced Gazan
"We haven't had bread for about five months.
Even when my uncle managed to get a bag of flour, some people robbed him after threatening him with a knife.
We only ate soy, corn, and any available animal feed."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): NAGLAA, Displaced Gazan
"Gaza City is experiencing a severe famine, with a scarcity of food. Conditions are exceedingly challenging, and the residents are in desperate need of assistance. Necessities such as flour have become scarce.
In Gaza, we resorted to grinding animal feed made from corn to bake and eat for survival. Gaza is dying of hunger."

On Feb. 27, United Nations officials alerted the Security Council to the imminent famine in the Gaza Strip, stressing the urgent need for action to prevent a humanitarian disaster in the Palestinian territory.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Gaza, Palestine.
(XHTV)