Editorial: Palestinian famine “must haunt us”

The words strike our conscience in the background of the photo of an emaciated child. "This is a famine that will and must haunt us all." Through the voice of Tom Fletcher, head of the United Nations' humanitarian affairs coordination office, at a press conference on Friday, the UN officially recognized the state of famine in Gaza . According to UN experts, more than 500,000 Gazans are living in "catastrophic" conditions of food distress. The worst thing is to realize that this tragedy could have been avoided without an Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip preventing the entry of humanitarian aid. The UN goes even further, considering this famine as "a weapon of war" that has been "openly promoted by certain Israeli leaders." » At the same time, Benjamin Netanyahu 's government continues to deny the obvious and is preparing to attack Gaza City with the full power of the Israeli army with the aim of occupying this part of the Palestinian enclave. In an unprecedented move, breaking their duty of reserve, European officials (1,650 people) are calling, in an open letter addressed to Ursula von der Leyen , President of the European Commission, for humanitarian measures to be taken quickly for Gaza. And it is true that the European Union's hesitation in putting real pressure on the Hebrew state is creating incomprehension. Beyond any bias in the Middle East conflict, beyond the urgent need to free the Israeli hostages, beyond the indisputable terrorist nature of Hamas, which is holding them, the tragedy unfolding in the Middle East calls for an essential firm response. Even if it means going through politics. By suspending its arms deliveries to Israel on August 8th - a doubly courageous decision given its past with the Hebrew people - Germany showed the way. Now we want to hear Europe's voice.