On Friday, August 22nd, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed that the situation in Gaza constitutes a famine. [1][2] According to the IPC, famine occurs when three crucial stages are met: extreme food deprivation, acute malnutrition, and starvation-related deaths. These criteria are now visible in Gaza.
This is a human-made catastrophe. For although described as famine, food and aid are situated all along the borders of the Gaza Strip, and thousands of aid trucks are waiting to gain access into this territory exclusively controlled by Israel. In recent weeks, the former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, and other members of “The Elders” visited the Gazan border and expressed their disbelief and outrage at the number of aid tucks waiting to gain entry. The situation is dire. It is hard to exaggerate just how desperate the conditions are for people living in this tiny enclave. NGOs, journalists, and medical personnel have described a reality that is beyond most people’s comprehension. And Israeli government ministers, emboldened by near unconditional support from the UK and the US, openly admit to their crimes. Commenting on the military’s new offensive into Gaza City, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich demanded harsher measures for the Palestinian population: “In my opinion, you [the IDF] can besiege them. Whoever doesn’t evacuate, don’t let them. No water, no electricity – let them die of hunger or surrender. This is what we want”.[3]
The weaponization of food is one of the tactics being used to forcibly remove Palestinians from their land. This, along with the unrelenting, carpet-bombing of Gaza,[4] is intended to make life impossible for its inhabitants. This agenda also explains why the IDF has deliberately demolished key civilian buildings and social infrastructure throughout the Strip – hospitals, bakeries, schools, apartments, water stations, sewage facilities, and so on. It is clear from both the rhetoric of the Israeli government and the actions of the IDF that the objective is to create a wasteland, paving the way for Israeli settlers to move in.[5] This broader agenda of illegal settlement, underway for decades in the West Bank but accelerated in recent months, has been confirmed by Smotrich, who outlined plans to build more than 3,000 homes in the occupied West Bank, saying this will “bury the idea of a Palestinian state”.[6]
Disturbing videos, many taken by IDF soldiers themselves, show the destruction of hospital equipment, the controlled demolition of buildings and homes, and the desecration of holy sites throughout Gaza. The IDF has intentionally killed and imprisoned doctors; to date, an estimated 1600 medical staff have been killed in Gaza, and many others taken prisoner by the IDF. Medecins sans Frontiers, Human Rights Watch, the World Health Organization and other leading organizations have expressed grave concern for the wellbeing of doctors imprisoned in Israel.[7] One of the most high-profile cases is that of Dr. Adnan al-Bursh, head of the orthopedic department at al-Shifa hospital who was tortured and raped before being killed.[8]
Doctors from all over the world who have spent time in Gaza have testified that snipers are targeting children. They believe children are being used as “target practice” by the IDF, with certain body parts designated for certain days. This included shooting young boys in their genitals.[9] And an increasing number of reports are emerging of killings by Israeli soldiers at food distribution sites. According to Human Rights Watch:
Mass casualty incidents have taken place on a near-daily basis at or near the four sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which operates in coordination with the Israeli military … The dire humanitarian situation is a direct result of Israel’s use of starvation of civilians as a weapon of war – a war crime – as well as Israel’s continued intentional deprivation of aid and basic services, ongoing actions that amount to the crime against humanity of extermination, and acts of genocide.[10]
It is hard to gauge the level of support within Israel for Benjamin Netanyahu and his political allies.[11] Apart from Israeli newspaper Haaretz, mainstream Israeli media does not show the scale of destruction in Gaza and offers little critique of military actions. But on July 27th, the Irish Times carried an article describing tours to a viewing point at Sderot, where – for a small fee – people can watch the live destruction of Gaza. Sally Hayden reported that: “The tour guide directed his group towards the binoculars, which cost five shekels (€1.27) to look through for 2½ minutes and could be paid for with a contactless card. ‘You’ll be able to see ruined territories, but it’s important to remember it’s a result of their aggression towards us and our need to secure ourselves,’ he said”.[12] So, although a highly censored country, it is naive to suggest that ordinary Israelis do not know what is happening on their border.
The catastrophe in Gaza is being acknowledged by some Israeli human rights groups such as B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel, and among many in the Jewish diaspora more generally. B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel have said that the war constitutes genocide. B’Tselem cites statements from several leading politicians to conclude that Israel is “taking coordinated action to intentionally destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip”.[13] And Physicians for Human Rights Israel has condemned the “deliberate and systematic destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system”.[14]
Others like Israeli born genocide scholar Omer Bertov (Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University), Israeli historian Amos Goldberg (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), and Shmuel Lederman (Israeli researcher at the Open University of Israel), have all concluded that the government’s actions amount to genocide.[15] Bartov, who grew up in Israel and served in its military, admits his reluctance to use the word “genocide” up to now, but says he can no longer deny what is happening. He believes that the government’s intention is “to systematically destroy Gaza. … and to make it impossible, if ever this is over, for that group to reconstitute its identity as a group by completely erasing everything that is there.”[16]
And London-based Orthodox Jewish leader, Rabbi Elhanan Beck is among many Rabbis who have spoken out against the Israeli government’s actions, refuting in the strongest terms the theological claims used by Zionists to defend their “messianic” agenda. In addition, groups in the United States such as the Union for Reform Judaism and the American Jewish Committee have added their voice to the growing chorus of outrage at what is happening in Gaza.[17]
Arguably one of the strongest public condemnations has come from a number of academics who founded the Genocide and Holocaust Studies Crisis Network last April. Over 400 scholars of genocide and Holocaust studies from two dozen countries are now members of the organization. They call for “immediate and concrete measures” to prevent further atrocities, and condemn governments that “materially support the genocide in Gaza while silencing protest”.[18] They criticize scholarly organizations, universities, and institutions dedicated to the study of the Holocaust that have remained silent in the face of this genocide and have even provided ideological justification for the violence. “Institutions such as Yad Vashem and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum adhere to a ‘Palestine exception’ when opposing genocide and mass atrocity … We commit to pressuring our institutions to confront the contradictions between their stated commitment to ‘never again’ and their silence or complicity in the face of Gaza”.[19]
Despite growing international criticism and mounting evidence of war crimes, the Israeli government refutes all claims of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and violations of international law.
Human Dignity
Human dignity is a foundational concept within Christian ethics. As a universalizing principle, human dignity must be understood in a consistent, non-arbitrary, inclusive way, and defended with impartiality, courage, and integrity. For example, in Dignitas Infinita we read: “Every human person possesses an infinite dignity, inalienably grounded in his or her very being, which prevails in and beyond every circumstance, state, or situation the person may ever encounter. This principle, which is fully recognizable even by reason alone, underlies the primacy of the human person and the protection of human rights.”[20]
The world is witnessing violations of human dignity in Gaza on a staggering scale. And among the many violations is the dehumanizing, and often violent, rhetoric used to speak about Palestinians. They are described as “human animals”, and Israeli media regularly propagates an image of a people who are pests, an inconvenience, and a threat to Israel’s very existence. The destruction of this people is openly defended not only by the current far-right government, but also by politicians in the United States. For example, US Republican Representative from Florida, Randy Fine, has applauded the utter devastation of Gaza; a staunch ally of Donald Trump, he has previously called for the “nuking” of Gaza, the starvation of its population, and the expelling of all Palestinians from the region.[21] At the heart of this war is a profound inability to see Palestinians as human beings whose lives are sacred, precious, and unique.
Perhaps one of the most dehumanizing commentaries has come from UK Lawyers for Isreal (UKLFI), where they are reported to have said that a reduction in obesity (as a result of starvation) may actually increase life expectancy for Palestinians.[22] In the face of harrowing images of emaciated children and babies, it is hard to imagine a more vulgar claim. It demonstrates a total inability to empathize with human suffering and reveals the extent to which Palestinians have been dehumanized and debased in some quarters.
To speak about human dignity, therefore, is about a way of perceiving; it suggests a particular vision of the world that is inclusive, just, and universal. It is a form of human recognition. And commitment to this principle requires the courage to speak out against prejudice and systematic discrimination in all forms, and defend the rights of the most vulnerable. For countries like Ireland, dependent as it is on US multinationals, there may be economic implications arising from its stance on Gaza.[23] This is what I call the “cost of solidarity”, for commitment to values like human dignity, justice, and the common good is not something undertaken when convenient or cost-effective. Unless accompanied by meaningful action, our values will remain at the level of words and lack all credibility.
The Need for Strong Leadership from the Church
Catholics speak of the sanctity of every human life and of the importance of the family, the domestic Church. Yet the impact of violence on children and families across Gaza is catastrophic; almost half of the 2.3 million people living in Gaza are children, and a report by UNICEF issued on 27th May 2025 says that approximately 50,000 children have been killed or injured in the Gaza Strip since October 2023.[24] Many more remain buried under rubble, believed to be dead. Those who have survived, continue to endure “the trauma of multiple wars, and all of them have spent their lives under the oppressive shadow of an Israeli blockade, affecting every aspect of their existence from birth”.[25] And according to Lisa Doughten in her briefing to the Security Council on the 9th October, 2024, “each day, according to UNRWA, 10 children are losing one or both of their legs. Gaza is home to the largest cohort of child amputees in modern history. Women are three times more likely to miscarry, and three times more likely to die from childbirth.”[26] Furthermore, the World Health Organization estimates that nearly 71,000 children under the age of five will suffer severe malnutrition if the current ban on aid continues.[27]
The world is witnessing violence towards families in Gaza on a grotesque scale. It is time for religious leaders to speak out unequivocally and courageously in defense of the inalienable rights of Palestinians. Pope Leo, like Pope Francis before him, has appealed for an end to the violence in Gaza and for release of all Israeli hostages. For instance, in his General Audience of 28th May 2025, Leo said: “In the Gaza Strip, the cry of mothers, of fathers who clutch the lifeless bodies of children and who are continually forced to move in search of a little food and safer shelter from bombing, rises ever more intensely to the sky. I renew my appeal to the leaders: cease fire, release all hostages, fully respect humanitarian law.”[28] He has called for “an immediate halt to the barbarity of the war” and for “a peaceful resolution of the conflict”. The Pope has urged the global community to observe humanitarian law and condemned “collective punishment, indiscriminate use of force and forced displacement of the population” in Gaza.[29] The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference also issued a strong statement, saying: “The evidence points to a staged strategy of ethnic cleansing aimed at removing the Palestinian people from their homes and their homeland. It is becoming increasingly clear to people on the ground that these are genocidal actions sanctioned by the Government of Israel”. They describe the actions of the Israeli government as “unconscionable and disproportionate”.[30]
Although these statements are welcome, much more needs to be done. Church leaders, with their global political reach, must exert far greater pressure on politicians. The US Bishops bear particular responsibility here, given the United States’s seemingly unconditional support of the current Israeli government. To date, the United States has provided 22.79 billion dollars in military aid to Israel since October 7th, 2023. This surely exemplifies the type of “culture of death” that Saint John Paul II warned of in Evangelium vitae: “And how can we fail to consider … the violence inherent not only in wars as such but in the scandalous arms trade, which spawns the many armed conflicts which stain our world with blood?”. [31] The US could force an immediate end to the violence, but instead facilitates Netanyahu’s policies both materially and politically. The US Bishops could also play a decisive role in framing an alternative, more just public narrative, especially among some Catholics, that helps counteract the dehumanizing rhetoric used to debase Palestinians. Finally, Church leaders could help pressurize vested interests to commit to lasting peace in the region through equitable, participatory, and sustainable development in accordance with the principles of Catholic social teaching.
But there is a responsibility on us all to speak out. What is happening in Gaza is a shameful indictment of humanity. It lays bare the world’s failure to act swiftly and consistently in defense of the most vulnerable. Gaza also lays bare the world’s political impotence, its economic priorities, and the religious and cultural biases that undergird so much public decision-making today. Greatest shame lies with the United States and the UK, as well as with the European Union, who could put far more pressure on Israel to allow aid into Gaza and force an immediate cessation of violence, but who instead materially enable Israel in its actions. Unlike Srebrenica and Rwanda, the world is watching this genocide live on social media and other media platforms. There can be no doubting what is happening. No one can claim ignorance.
Peace can only be achieved through immediate release of all Israeli hostages, including the bodies of the dead, through the decommissioning of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the rebuilding of Gaza. But peace also depends on protecting the fundamental rights of Palestinians, including their right to self-determination. It requires an end to the system of apartheid that has oppressed Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank for decades, and it must ensure that Palestinians can enjoy cultural, religious, and economic autonomy. In short, peace must grow from a determined belief in a better, more just future for all peoples in the Holy Land, Israelis and Palestinians alike. But in the absence of political will by the US, the UK, and the EU, and as long as Israel continues to be allowed to act with impunity, this feels like an impossible dream.
—
[1] A more comprehensive analysis of the issues raised here can be found in The Furrow, vol.76, no. 9 (September 2025), 423-435.
[2] See https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg4p90z1kxo
[3] See The Times of Israel: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/anyone-in-gaza-city-who-doesnt-evacuate-can-die-of-hunger-or-surrender-smotrich-said-to-tell-idf-chief/ It reports that: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his top adviser, Ron Dermer said during a recent meeting that Israel has US President Donald Trump’s full support, but has a limited period of time to carry out its planned military offensive in Gaza City, according to Channel 12 news”.
[4] Gaza is a third the size of Hiroshima, but the equivalent of 8 Hiroshima bombs has been dropped on Gaza since October 7th, 2023. See https://fxb.harvard.edu/blog/2024/10/10/new-study-shows-israel-air-dropped-2000lb-bombs-within-lethal-and-damage-ranges-of-hospitals-in-gaza/ or https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-20415675
[5] The situation in Gaza is evolving rapidly, and I wish to note that some of the facts and figures cited here will inevitably have changed between the time of writing and the publication of this article. So too with the political situation; most notably, both the French and British governments have pledged to recognize the State of Palestine by September, with some conditions. Canada has followed suit. Colombia has banned trade with Israel in light of the ongoing genocide. Norway, home of the world’s largest wealth fund, has divested from several Israeli companies because of conditions in Gaza and the West Bank. On August 7th, Benjamin Netanyahu announced a plan to militarily take over all of Gaza, prompting Germany to halt some weapons exports intended for use in the conflict. Further developments are likely in the coming days and weeks. At the time of writing, the United States still has not condemned the announcement of a take-over of the Gaza Strip. And the UK is reportedly about to sign a 2 billion pound contract with Isreal’s largest arms manufacturer.
[6] Tom McArthur and Jon Donnison, “Israeli settlement plans will ‘bury’ idea of Palestinian state, minister says”, available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgdzxpkdd7o
[7] See https://www.doctorswithoutborders.ca/detention-of-dr-mohammed-obeid-and-several-medical-staff-from-kamal-adwan-hospital-north-gaza/ or https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/20/middleeast/al-shifa-gaza-israel-raid-intl
[8] https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/feb/25/israel-gaza-doctors-surgeons-healthcare-detention-international-law
[9] For example, see https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/02/gaza-palestinian-children-killed-idf-israel-war
[10] https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/08/01/gaza-israeli-killings-of-palestinians-seeking-food-are-war-crimes
[11] The coalition government consists of five parties: Likud, Shas, Otzma Yehudit, Religious Zionist Party and New Hope. It is led by Benjamin Netanyahu and his hard-right party, Likud. The government is notable for its inclusion of far-right and ultra-nationalist politicians. It is often described as the most right-wing government in Israel’s history.
[12] https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2025/07/28/from-a-viewing-platform-in-israel-observers-watch-gazas-destruction-through-binoculars/
[13] See https://www.btselem.org/publications/202507_our_genocide
[14] See https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/28/israel-committing-genocide-in-gaza-say-israel-based-human-rights-groups
[15] See https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/top-genocide-scholars-unanimous-israel-committing-genocide-gaza-investigation-findsor https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2024/10/29/amos-goldberg-what-is-happening-in-gaza-is-a-genocide-because-gaza-does-not-exist-anymore_6730881_23.html
[16] See interview given to NPR on July 17th, 2025: https://www.npr.org/2025/07/17/nx-s1-5468953/historian-omer-bartov-on-why-he-believes-israel-is-committing-genocide-in-gaza
[17] https://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2025/0729/1525834-israel-gaza-analysis/
[18] “As scholars of genocide, we demand an end to Israel’s atrocities”, The Guardian, 29 July 2025. Signed by Taner Akcam, Marianne Hirsch and Michael Rothberg, founding members of the Genocide and Holocaust Studies Network. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/29/israel-gaza-palestinians-genocide-scholars-letter
[19] Ibid.
[20] Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration “Dignitas Infinita” on Human Dignity, n.1.
[21] https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-urges-congress-to-condemn-rep-randy-fines-call-to-nuke-gaza-cites-escalating-pattern-of-genocidal-and-anti-american-rhetoric/
[22] “UK Lawyers for Israel condemned over claim war may reduce obesity in Gaza”, The Guardian, available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/10/uk-lawyers-for-israel-condemned-over-claim-war-may-reduce-obesity-in-gaza
[23] There is mounting evidence that Benjamin Netanyahu is pressurizing both Democratic and Republican politicians in the US to sanction Ireland for passing the Occupied Territories legislation in its parliament.
[24] https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unimaginable-horrors-more-50000-children-reportedly-killed-or-injured-gaza-strip
[25] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2025/3/26/gazas-stolen-childhood-the-thousands-of-children-israel-killed
[26] https://www.un.org/unispal/document/lisa-doughten-ocha-briefing-sc-9744th-meeting-09oct24/#:~:text=Gaza%20is%20home%20to%20the,likely%20to%20die%20from%20childbirth.
[27] See World Health Organization report available at: https://www.who.int/news/item/12-05-2025-people-in-gaza-starving–sick-and-dying-as-aid-blockade-continues
[28] https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/audiences/2025/documents/20250528-udienza-generale.html
[29] https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-07/pope-leo-gaza-church-barbarity-netanyahu.html
[30] https://www.catholicbishops.ie/2025/06/13/gaza-words-are-not-enough-irish-bishops-call-for-solidarity-at-parish-level/
[31] Saint John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, (1995), n.10.