In the wake of the 7 October 2023 attacks and Israel’s subsequent military actions, the Gaza Strip has been facing a severe humanitarian disaster for nearly two years now, with 88% of the territory being militarized, along with being under evacuation orders, and only 12% being a ”safe” space (squeezing the people of Gaza into 45 km²). Since March 2025, when Israel violated the ceasefire with Hamas and ordered a blockade on aid – cutting off food, water, fuel, and medical supplies – Palestinians have been deprived of basic essentials needed for human health and survival. As every conflict, this identity-driven discrepancy cannot be solely understood through the traditional state-centered framework and military lenses alone, but a human-security perspective is vital, prioritizing the dignity, well-being and survival of the people. Highlighting this is especially important to humanize armed conflicts, reveal the depth of wars and the alleged ongoing human rights violations.
Human security dimensions and their (lack of) presence in Gaza
The concept of human security was introduced by the UNDP (United Nations Development Program) in 1994, which serves as an analytical tool that reflects a security shift from state sovereignty and territorial integrity to ensuring the individual’s security and human life. It encompasses not only personal, but community, economic, political, environmental, food and health security, which therefore highlights its multidimensional and interconnected nature.
In Gaza, with the impact of the blockade and siege-like conditions dependency on aid is constantly rising, with food security becoming non-existent, rapidly approaching famine, the medical infrastructure collapsing, in addition to inadequate access to medicine and child nutrition services. In the absence of state protection, Palestinians have been experiencing a systematic decline in political autonomy and community rights – a matter that is rooted in the 1948 war, establishing the state of Israel. The creation of Israel signified the start of Palestinian hardships, including occupations, ethnic cleansing and overall oppression known historically as ’Nakba’. Their population has been experiencing worsening human security conditions starting with the loss of the historically and spiritually belonging land, followed by several internal factors as well, including competing security forces prioritizing power over public safety, leading to inadequate law enforcement.
Gaza is not only experiencing a food-, but a water crisis, deriving from critical fuel shortage, extensive infrastructure damage, and inaccessible water sources. As of now, 82% of public water sanitation hygiene (WASH) facilities and assets can be found under the Israeli-militarized zones or under displacement orders, sewage treatment has been largely destroyed, and contaminated groundwater is spreading disease. These all contribute to worsening malnutrition, which undeniably intersects with both personal and collective insecurity, resulting in physical and psychological trauma as well. According to several UN human rights experts, Israel has allegedly weaponized food, using the blockade as a collective punishment, and had violated its obligations as occupying power several times, undermining universal and binding principles of international humanitarian law, specifically the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which is meant to protect civilian population during the time of armed conflicts. The Convention set responsibilities for the occupying power to treat civilians humanely, while respecting their rights, and it serves as a indispensable framework for leaders to consider in order to avoid war crimes. UN experts from the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council (the largest body of independent experts in the UN human rights system) claim Israel has seriously breached international law, and conducted:
- Crimes against humanity: murder, torture, sexual violence, forcible transfer of civilians.
- War crimes: indiscriminate attacks targeting civilians and infrastructure (e.g., hospitals, schools); using starvation as a weapon; and destroying resources vital to civilian survival; targeting and harming humanitarian and healthcare personnel and media workers; imposing arbitrary restrictions on humanitarian aid and practicing collective punishment.
Food (in)security: What exactly is famine and is Gaza really facing it?
Food security is one of the seven pillars of the human security framework, which Gaza as of now severely lacks. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (ICP) alert worked out by UN food-security experts that was published July 29, indicates that the worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip. ICP is a tool tracking food (in)security, consisting of five phases, where Phase 1 suggests no or minimal food insecurity and Phase 5 means catastrophe or famine. According to ICP, famine occurs when due to extreme deprivation of food starvation, death and extremely critical levels of acute malnutrition are or will likely be evident. A situation can be categorized as a famine when more than 20% of households face extreme food shortage, 30% of children are acutely malnourished, and more than 2 hunger-related deaths occur among every 10,000 people each day.
Evidence indicates that famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of Gaza and for severe malnutrition in Gaza City due to the ongoing conflict, blockades, and mass displacements (2 out of the 3 thresholds met). Therefore, half a million people in Gaza are currently in Phase 5 catastrophe, with one in three people going without food for days at a time, moving towards famine. With fewer than 15% of essential nutrition treatment services currently functional, the risk of malnutrition-related deaths among infants and young children is higher than ever before. At least 147 people (including 88 children) are confirmed to have died from starvation or malnutrition according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, with the rate rapidly rising.
Incoming aid is a ”drop in the ocean”
On the 27th of July, a shift was visible when Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced daily humanitarian pauses in their military operations to allow aid convoys to enter from three directions, yet agencies warn that current aid remains a “drop in the ocean” compared to what is needed. With that, Israel’s alleged strategy and policy of starvation was forced to pause amid growing international criticism for orchestrating a men-made famine, which Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu continues to deny and blame aid organizations and Hamas for aids not reaching civilians in need. However, despite the reopening, Palestinian civilians continue to be exposed to serious harm and even death, with approaching aid convoy routes and distribution points that pose huge threat on their security, depending on the way aid is dropped and where it lands. Since late May, more than 1,000 people have been killed and over 7,000 injured while trying to access aid.
A shift was also visible regarding US President Donald Trump, since on July 27, Sunday he highlighted the US had already provided $60 million in humanitarian assistance but complained about not receiving enough thanks – outlining the strategic power and expectations aids hold.. Speaking on July 28, Monday he described Gaza’s starvation crisis as ’real’, conflicting Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, and pledged to establish US-backed food centers in the region. Israel’s major allies now seem to signal a slight shift from prior position of unconditionally backing the state.
It is no doubt that Israel is legally obliged to allow unhindered humanitarian access and restoration of basic services to prevent genocide. A small airdrop however, is not enough and is seen by many as a symbolic, biased act. The controversial US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation pledged $89 million in aid, yet basic essential services like water, remain inaccessible. Moreover, the Hamas-run Ministry of Health reported that a total of 583 people had been killed up to July 1 while seeking aid since 26 May, out of which 408 occurred around the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s distribution centers.
Accountability gaps and the potential two-state solution
The International Court of Justice previously ruled Israel’s presence in the occupied territories unlawful and issued binding interim measures to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli officials, including the Prime Minister Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister are wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges linked to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Despite these rulings, experts emphasize that Israel continues to avoid meaningful consequences with the international community lacking collective and strong unity, ultimately leading to delegitimizing international law and UN mechanisms.
On the other hand, atrocities of non-state actors often go unaddressed due to lack of formal accountability, having difficulties with holding them accountable due to the lack of centralized authority, and with them operating outside formal legal mechanisms. Therefore, it is obvious that Israel faces greater legal scrutiny, but it is no excuse for hindering and looting humanitarian support that results in disproportionate harm that falls on Gaza’s civilians.
What could be the solution? The two-state idea reflects earlier plans of the UN dating back to 1947, which is based on the establishment of two sovereign, independent states with international administration over Jerusalem or shared jurisdiction between the two powers. Advocates of the two-state solution have envisioned a Palestine in the Gaza Strip and West Bank linked by a corridor through Israel, supplemented by land swaps. This plan is seen as crucial to resolve the human security dilemma, as peace is believed to be achievable only through political separation and mutual recognition. However, as a consequence of mutual distrust and violence rooted in historical grievances and zero-sum perceptions, with Israel expanding, and political divisions persisting among Palestinians it has not been likely to actually happen. Nonetheless, world leaders are now stepping up, with French President Emmanuel Macron followed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announcing to recognize Palestine in September unless Israel agrees to meet crucial conditions, including a ceasefire and reconsidering the two-state solution. Despite the strong political commitment and strong the radical shift from prior positions that the recognition would represent, it would remain quasi symbolic, since the US, Isreal’s strongest ally would most definitely use its veto power in the UN Security Council to block Palestine’s full membership.
One thing is certain…security without humanity is not security. The Israeli-Palestine War has resulted in a humanitarian crisis that has destroyed every dimension of human security in the Gaza Strip. The urgent need to complement the traditional state-centered security with a more humanized, people-centric perception is essential to demand action in ensuring the protection of civilians, with prioritizing human life over strategic gains.
Sources:
In Gaza, mounting evidence of famine and widespread starvation | UN News
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgvxgl5zxpo
Israel says it will open humanitarian routes to allow aid convoys into Gaza
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Trump Describes Gaza ‘Starvation’ Crisis as ‘Real’ | TIME
Israel’s assault on the foundations of international law must have consequences: UN experts | OHCHR
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Israeli, US-backed Gaza aid group must end, say 170 charities
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What is the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict? | Reuters
What does recognising a Palestinian state mean?
What is the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and why has it been criticised? | Gaza News | Al Jazeera