When hunger is a weapon

Since October 7, access to food in Gaza – and its systematic restriction by Israel – has been the subject of international condemnation. The most recent incident is the killing of dozens of Palestinians attempting to obtain food from an aid distribution centre.Israeli settlers have blocked roads, and aid delivery. Aid convoys and workers have also been targeted with violence. And as of March, Israel established a full scale blockade on aid into the Gaza strip. Today a trickle has been allowed into the territory.International organizations have been warning of famine in Gaza for more than a year. Alex de Waal is the executive director of the World Peace Foundation at Tufts University, and author of ‘Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine.’ He joins the show for a discussion about starvation crimes, why the weaponization of food during wartime continues, and how famine has proven difficult to prosecute in court.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts