How Hamas used starvation as a weapon of war

We asked for proof of deliberate starvation in Gaza. On Saturday, we received it. The images of Eli Sharabi, Or Levy, and Ohad Ben Ami – three hostages released by Hamas after 491 days in captivity – were haunting. Frail, skeletal, barely able to stand, they bore the unmistakable marks of prolonged deprivation. The sight evoked painful historical echoes: men whose suffering was etched into their hollowed faces and emaciated bodies, a vision chillingly reminiscent of Holocaust survivors. This was not incidental malnutrition. It was something far worse: starvation as a weapon, inflicted with intent.

For months, famine in Gaza had been reported with urgency by major news outlets, but the images accompanying these reports had often been strangely inconsistent with the severity of the claims. Some pictures did show children looking thin. But many images were unverified, and some were later revealed to be children suffering from pre-existing medical conditions that had caused their wasting.