SHOTLIST: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK, PALESTINE (MAY 7, 2025) (PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTRY - RESTRICTED) 1. PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER MOHAMMAD MUSTAFA ARRIVING 2. MOHAMMAD MUSTAFA DELIVERING SPEECH (Arabic) (TWO SHOTS) 3. ATTENDEES 4. POSTER SHOWING HUMANITARIAN WORKS AND DESTRUCTION 5. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOHAMMAD MUSTAFA SAYING: "Documented reports issued by international and UN institutions, field indicators, manifestations of hunger and thirst, daily scenes of emaciated children's bodies, and the cries of pain emanating from the tents of the displaced and from the rubble of homes and hospitals, all point to one stark reality: Gaza is now a famine zone. In light of Israel's persistence, the illegal occupying power, its continued and tightened blockade of the Gaza Strip, its deliberate obstruction of the entry of aid, the complete collapse of all supply chains, the near-total power outage, the severe shortage of water, the collapse of the medical services system, and the occupation's continued systematic and widespread violations of international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and international criminal law. Based on the internationally recognized criteria of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which defines famine as occurring when a large number of people suffer from acute hunger, severe acute malnutrition, and high mortality rates due to hunger, 100% of the population of the Gaza Strip is now suffering from acute food insecurity. Accordingly, we hold Israel, the occupying power, fully responsible for this deliberate humanitarian catastrophe, and we call on the international community to: First: Implement UN resolutions prohibiting the use of starvation as a weapon of war against civilians. This requires the immediate intervention of the UN Security Council and Secretary-General, and the implementation of Article (99) of the UN Charter, including under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Second: We call on all UN member states to take urgent action in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law, recognize the catastrophe and famine, and work to provide political and logistical support to end the blockade, ensure the delivery of aid, and activate international accountability mechanisms. Third: We call on the entire UN system, particularly the World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and all partners in the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) network, to immediately activate their mechanisms and treat Gaza as a famine zone, which entails urgent international intervention and the immediate lifting of all restrictions preventing relief. Fourth: We demand the protection of the legal mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), support for its programs, and the empowerment of the Agency to carry out its mandate. In this regard, we commend the position of the UN Secretary-General, the European Union institutions, and various UN and international organizations that reject any proposed mechanisms to control aid distribution. We thank the Arab and international stance against displacement. As we declare today that the Gaza Strip is a famine zone, we will continue to do everything in our power to confront this aggression and famine against our people, and to work tirelessly with the international community to save lives, leading to recovery and reconstruction."RAMALLAH, WEST BANK, PALESTINE - MAY 7 - RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT “PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTRY” HANDOUT, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO -EDITORIAL USE ONLY: Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa declared the Gaza Strip a “famine-stricken zone” on Wednesday, as Israel continued to block the entry of food and aid into the blockaded enclave. Mustafa said that they declare Gaza a famine-stricken area during a press conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah. "We demand all UN member states take urgent action according to their obligations under international humanitarian law, and recognize this disaster and famine," he said. The Palestinian premier called on the international community to "implement UN resolutions that prohibit using starvation as a weapon of war." Mustafa also appealed to the entire UN system to "immediately activate its mechanisms and treat Gaza as a famine zone." Since March 2, Israel has kept Gaza’s crossings closed to food, medical, and humanitarian aid, deepening an already humanitarian crisis in the enclave, according to government, human rights, and international reports. Nearly 2.4 million people in Gaza live completely dependent on humanitarian aid, according to World Bank data. Figures released by Gaza’s government media office showed that at least 57 Palestinians have died of starvation since October 2023. More than 52,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.