Parents watch children waste away as deliberate aid restrictions from Israel mean hunger is becoming a killer. The Guardian

More than 60,000 Pales0nians have been killed in the Gaza War, an es0mated 80% of whom were civilians. Now, starvation is the main cause of death. According to the UN/July 29, "Hospitals are...overwhelmed and have treated more than 20,000 children for acute malnutrition since April." The Guardian reports that 579 Palestinnians died of starvation in the last eleven days of July. Adam Tooze concludes: "[This is] murder not crisis....There is clear evidence of deliberate intent going back to 2023. This clearly warrants charges of genocide."(1) The disaster in Gaza is at a potential tipping point: We can help it tip.

While the situation in Gaza has been very bad for some time, the plight of Palestinians trapped in the Gaza strip has just recently become terribly desperate, so much so that it's prompting a shift globally. A tipping point? That's not certain, but it's looking more likely. See, for example, Peter Beinart: "The Dam Breaks, US Discourse on Gaza Has Reached a Tipping Point", and the NYT: "Why starvation in Gaza has reached a Tipping point, and what it could mean for the future of the conflict in the Middle East."(8)

Here's What's Happening That's Changing the Discourse

Start with the New York Times. Its Editorial Board on July 30 called "Gaza's Hunger a Moral Crisis." The Guardian, The Washington Post and others chimed in.(3) According to The Bulwark, the situation is "reshaping longstanding political lines around the conflict," citing the "White House's surprising break

[Trump acknowledged "real starvation" in Gaza].... Then, [on July 30], a Bernie Sanders-led attempt to block $675 million in arms sales to Israel failed in the Senate, but won many more votes, including moderates, than before."(2) Add to that: Marjorie Taylor Greene(!) has declared the Gaza crisis a "Genocide." (4)

There's a comparable realignment internationally. Back in November the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and another Israeli official for crimes against humanity.(5) But not much happened until now. "Australia, Canada, and New Zealand [have] joined Britain and France in saying they would recognize Palestinian statehood if Israel did not reach a ceasefire in Gaza," according to Semafor, The move is part of a wider diplomatic push: 15 states signed a

declaration calling for a two-state solution, and urging Arab states to recognize Israel. Pressure is growing on Israel to end its assault on Gaza, with the European Union this week saying the country is 'violating human rights' and causing a 'humanitarian catastrophe.' (6))

This was enough to cause Netanyahu to declare a "temporary pause" in the military assault on Gaza to allow for humanitarian aid. But, The Guardian reports, the minimal aid reaching Gazans is doing little to stop starvation and on July 31 at least 39 people were killed as they waited for trucks of aid.(8). But even this minimal assistance won't last without continuing pressure. Trump is waffling already, and Netanyahu faces jail time if he abandons his attempt to annex and clear Gaza of Palestinians. That's because the two parties keeping him in power want to annex Gaza for Israel and could withdraw support if Netanyahu accedes to international pressure.(7)

But you can help.