United Nations, January 18 (RHC)-- Aid workers say that Israel has set up a complex and unnecessary process to vet trucks entering Gaza, while bombing areas where aid workers set up to distribute supplies.

Human rights experts and groups say that Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war, which would, if found to be true, be considered a war crime.  The mass hunger — which experts say is also giving way to severe malnutrition, especially among children — is layered on top of and exacerbating other problems brought on by a lack of clean water, medical supplies and infrastructure, which are causing widespread disease as Israel carries on with its relentless bombing.

UNICEF has warned that children in southern Gaza are only able to access 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day, below the recommended 3 liters a day for bare minimum survival, and the 15 liters needed for things like cooking and basic sanitation. Previous U.S. State Department Research has found that large numbers of children, including newborn babies, in Gaza are being forced to drink contaminated or brackish water.

“Children at high risk of dying from malnutrition and disease desperately need medical treatment, clean water and sanitation services, but the conditions on the ground do not allow us to safely reach children and families in need,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said.  

“Some of the material we desperately need to repair and increase water supply remain restricted from entering Gaza. The lives of children and their families are hanging in the balance.  Every minute counts.”