Doha: Qatari newspapers, in their editorials today, addressed the dangerous escalation by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip, where it continues to use systematic starvation as a weapon of war against more than two million Palestinians. This comes amid a suffocating blockade and a ban on the entry of humanitarian aid, in addition to the direct targeting of food distribution centers and humanitarian relief hubs.
According to Qatar News Agency, the newspapers also discussed Israel's failure to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by the Feb. 18 deadline, as previously agreed. Instead, it carried out only a partial withdrawal and continues to occupy five major Lebanese hills captured during its latest aggression. Moreover, Israel has recently begun building a border strip one to two kilometers deep inside Lebanese territory.
Al Raya newspaper wrote in its editorial that the Israeli occupation is waging a campaign of starvation, thirst, and the breaking of Palestinian will, particularly in Gaza. It emphasized that the blockade on the Strip has been tightened and the entry of humanitarian aid blocked, while food distribution centers were systematically targeted. The paper described how the search for food during the war has become a journey toward death.
The editorial continued by saying that those who do not die of hunger were being killed by the airstrikes. It cited figures from the Government Media Office revealing that the occupation deliberately targeted 26 charitable food banks and 37 aid centers since the beginning of what it called a genocide. This, the newspaper argued, reflects a deliberate starvation policy affecting more than 2.4 million Palestinians in Gaza.
Al Raya pointed out that the siege of Gaza has now lasted nearly a month, with Israel continuing to block humanitarian and relief aid, including fuel trucks, further compounding the suffering of civilians. It argued that these punitive measures were not new, but part of an 18-year Israeli strategy of deprivation.
The editorial also noted that Israel has blocked the entry of aid and deliberately destroyed the agricultural sector, which could have helped Gazans endure the ongoing assault. Instead, the occupation is carrying out a full-scale war on Palestinian existence, targeting civilian infrastructure and essential services in an apparent attempt to make Gaza uninhabitable and drive its population to emigrate and leave the territory open for Israeli resettlement.
Al Raya concluded by saying that it was not surprising Israel's Supreme Court rejected a petition calling for the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza. This decision, the newspaper argued, is part of a broader criminal system targeting the Palestinian people. It claimed the court's ruling grants legal cover for Israeli war crimes and brazenly defies international humanitarian law by legitimizing the use of starvation as a declared weapon against Palestinians.