Israel’s Humanitarian Aid Blockade in Gaza Is a War Within a War

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For months, a worsening Israeli-made famine has gripped the Gaza Strip. Food is scarce, and prices for what is available have skyrocketed since October 2023. Beyond relentless bombing and killing, Israel has enforced a policy of starvation, sealing all border crossings and denying 2 million people in Gaza their basic right to food. “Gaza is the hungriest place on Earth,” Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office OCHA, said last week. Among the 2 million people trapped under siege and abandoned by the international community are those with special dietary needs like my aunt Do’aa, who suffers from celiac disease.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and oats. It damages the lining of the small intestine, impairing nutrient absorption. There is no cure. The only treatment is a lifelong, strictly gluten-free diet and careful caregiver awareness. Failure to comply can lead to serious complications, including ulcers, malnutrition, stunted growth in children, and — in advanced cases — certain types of cancer.

Before the war, my aunt received gluten-free flour from Ard El Insan, the only group in Gaza providing this essential item. A local supermarket also sold gluten-free products such as sauces, spices, pasta, chocolate and chips, helping patients manage their diets.

But when the genocide erupted, everything changed. Border closures cut off the supply of gluten-free food, making it nearly impossible to obtain. Israeli evacuation orders forced residents from the north to the south, isolating regions. Most people, including those with celiac disease, fled to the south, where no organization provides gluten-free flour. The sole supplier in the north shut down, and the supermarket owner was killed by Israel during the war.

“We began asking each other if anyone had extra flour,” my aunt recalled. “Eventually, I tried grinding chickpeas and peas to make bread, but it failed. I survived on vegetables, which were sold at outrageously high prices due to scarcity.”

After a year of war, Ard El Insan coordinated with the Red Cross to transport its remaining flour from the north to a distribution point in Khan Yunis, in the south. But the shortage worsened due to costly transportation and constant threats of random attacks. Reaching Khan Yunis became a life-threatening risk.

My aunt managed to obtain just four kilograms of flour — barely enough to feed a child for a month, let alone an adult.

As her niece, I’ve witnessed the daily agony of people with celiac disease in Gaza: The scarce food available here is like slow poison for their bodies. Yet such dietary restrictions remain largely unmentioned in the mainstream media’s coverage of Israel’s blockade and Gaza’s starvation, and it seems to be excluded from consideration on humanitarian aid lists.

Globally, celiac disease affects around 1 percent of the population, or roughly 1 in every 100 people. A May 2025 report by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights estimates 1,288 diagnosed cases in Gaza, up from about 1,000 before Israel’s offensive in October 2023.

The humanitarian aid that arrives contains almost nothing suitable for people with celiac disease — only rice and canned fava beans, as they are gluten-free. The rest of the food aid usually contains gluten, such as pasta and certain types of canned tuna. And with the recent siege, no food aid packages are reaching us at all.

Many in Gaza with celiac disease, like 9-year-old Anas, were forced to eat gluten given the limited food aid that has entered Gaza under the siege. My aunt contacted Anas’s mother to share his story.

“With no gluten-free flour and our small supply gone, I couldn’t stick to my diet,” Anas said. “I spent 20 days in the hospital — unable to walk, with pain in my neck and back. I lost my teeth. I lost weight fast.”

In a voice filled with anguish, Anas says, “Why am I denied a healthy life? Why do I watch my teeth fall and my legs stop working? Why was my childhood stolen? I’m tired. I just want my life back. I urge the world to recognize my condition, send gluten-free flour, and end this genocide.”

My father, Dr. Iyad, a pediatrician at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, notes that the difficulty in finding food for people with special dietary needs during this Israel-imposed starvation crisis in Gaza goes far beyond celiac patients. For example, he says individuals with G6PD deficiency (commonly known as favism) require a diet completely free of legumes. However, currently, the only foods available in many areas are legumes like lentils and chickpeas — items that pose a serious health risk to those with this condition. Similarly, children with diabetes are at high risk. To respond properly to insulin treatment, they need a carefully controlled diet with specific amounts and types of carbohydrates. In the current situation, such dietary regulation is nearly impossible, which can lead to dangerous complications such as severe hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia, both of which can be life-threatening.

The starvation crisis affects infants, too.

My father reports a critical shortage of all infant formula, especially for premature babies. “Mothers have been forced to improvise — mixing Cerelac [a wheat cereal], which is only suitable for babies over six months, with milk to replace missing formulas and supplements,” he said.

During this famine, basic foods for infants over six months — like rice, fruits and vegetables — have vanished from markets, fueling a rise in child malnutrition across Gaza.

Before the war in October 2023, essential nutritional products for children were more accessible. This included specialized milk formulas such as PediaSure, which are especially important for infants under a year old suffering from malnutrition. Also available were therapeutic nutritional supplements like Formula 75 and Formula 100, used in treating severe underweight cases. Now, my father reports, only very limited quantities of these critical nutritional items are available — far less than what was accessible before the blockade. As a result, the shortage of food and supplements has had serious consequences on children’s health. “Many children have developed severe anemia, and there are increasing cases of liver and kidney dysfunction due to prolonged malnutrition and the lack of proper medical nutrition support,” my father says.

Currently, hospitals are treating children suffering from malnutrition using only the limited resources available. This includes saline solutions and glucose-containing IV fluids. But, as my father notes, there are no available nutritional supplements, nor is there access to critical protein-based treatments such as medical albumin, which is essential for addressing hypoproteinemia resulting from severe malnutrition. In contrast, before the latest blockade, malnourished children were treated in specialized units within field hospitals, particularly in the middle area, such as the American Hospital. These facilities had the capacity to respond effectively to such cases. “Now, due to the suffocating blockade, these hospitals are operating at only 30 percent of their capacity, severely limiting their ability to care for children in need,” my father says. “Only around 25 percent of malnourished children are receiving treatment, which is a very small fraction compared to the actual number of affected children across the Gaza Strip.”

Although exact figures are difficult to determine, according to my father, it is estimated that approximately 50 percent of all pediatric admissions are related to malnutrition and weakened immunity.

From a medical perspective, nursing mothers can still produce breast milk even when suffering from malnutrition, although the quantity of milk produced tends to be reduced. Another critical factor affecting milk production is the psychological and emotional state of the mother. Ongoing bombardment, forced displacement, and life in tents under extremely harsh conditions have led to widespread psychological trauma and emotional distress among mothers. Unfortunately, there is no sufficient psychological or medical support available to address these issues. The only available coping mechanisms are individual or family-based, without structured or institutional support.

In Gaza, hunger does not look the same for everyone. For many, it is a war within a war — invisible, overlooked and fatal. Amid scarce produce, soaring food prices and a deepening famine, we ask: Let their voices be heard before it is too late.

Posted in Progressive Political News