Two Months of ‘Israel's’ Food Blockade: Gaza Spirals into Famine, Turning to Horses, Turtles for Survival

Young Palestinian Hazem Khalil never imagined he would one day be forced to eat sea turtle meat, but the severe food shortages in Gaza have driven him, like many others, to desperate measures to survive.

Despite their rarity and high cost, some residents of Gaza have turned to eating sea turtle meat as one of the few remaining options amid the dwindling food supplies, caused by "Israel's" blockade preventing the entry of goods.

Since March 2, 2024, no goods, food aid, or medical supplies have entered Gaza after "Israel" closed all border crossings, pushing the population to the brink of famine and leading to a severe deterioration of the humanitarian situation for Palestinians.

Turtle and Horse Meat

Khalil, 39, told Al-Estiklal, "I had to convince myself, with great difficulty, to eat sea turtle meat after much hesitation, because we had never tried it before and didn't know what it would taste like or how we would feel after eating it."

The young man was forced to resort to turtle meat "after weeks of weakness and physical exhaustion due to the lack of any other kind of meat or food with high nutritional value."

He recounted that the people of Gaza now have only a handful of food options, most of which revolve around canned goods like tuna and beans, with a little tomato and rice.

"We eat the same foods every day because no other options are available, which is why my family of five and I were forced to eat the strange meat of sea turtles," he said.

Turtles are rare marine creatures, seldom found or caught in the waters off Gaza. Despite the local population's general reluctance to consume them, they are expensive, with a single kilogram costing 100 shekels (28 dollars).

Gazan fisherman Ahmed Bakr said, "In normal times, outside of war, we would always see these turtles and leave them be. It never crossed our minds that one day we would eat them."

Some turtles would wash up on the shores, only for fishermen and beachgoers to return them to the sea, "because there was nothing to do with them; they don’t live on land and aren’t eaten," as one local fisherman explained.

"The situation is different now. Whatever we find in the sea, we catch, eat, and sell. We are in a real famine, and we don’t know what we will do if this continues," he added.

The blockade is not the only form of a war crime, with Beker stating that the occupation also targets fishermen even in the shallow waters they venture into, firing gunshots, missiles, and bombing their boats.

He pointed out that this threat has drastically reduced the availability of fish in the region, making it exceedingly rare. 

"Catching fish requires venturing into deeper waters, but that comes at the cost of death, either from drones in the sky or Israeli naval boats," Bakr added.

In addition to turtles, residents of Gaza have recently begun slaughtering horses and consuming their meat—a practice previously unheard of, but one driven by the hunger that now grips the enclave.

Maher Habboush, a bodybuilder, shared a video of himself and a group of friends eating horse meat "after more than three months without any other type of meat," sparking widespread reactions and inquiries about its taste.

Most residents struggle to accept these new food choices and are forced to continue subsisting on canned goods. 

A young woman commented on Habboush's video, saying, "Although I'm from Gaza, I just can't bring myself to eat horse or turtle meat, or all the new stories emerging. Patience, and may God help us." 

Desperate Life

The occupation army is determined to make life in Gaza unbearable by continuing to block the crossings, demanding the Palestinian resistance hand over prisoners without any concessions in return. 

"Israel" seeks the release of 59 prisoners held by the resistance, 24 of whom are still alive, without having to pay the price of halting the ongoing crime, lifting the siege on Gaza, or releasing Palestinian detainees in exchange.

The occupation continues to refuse to halt its aggression entirely, insisting that its objectives in Gaza are to eradicate Hamas, recover prisoners, displace the population, and reinstate settlements. 

To achieve this, "Israel" persistently blocks food from entering Gaza, attempting to provoke protests and incite anger against Hamas. However, it has failed to achieve its desired outcomes.

The occupation has not only closed borders and blocked aid, but has also recently targeted food distribution centers, known as "charity kitchens," across Gaza. 

Since the onset of the genocidal operations in October 2023, all means of livelihood and opportunities for earning have completely disappeared.

In response, dozens of charity kitchens funded by international humanitarian organizations were established across Gaza. 

However, the occupation has recently targeted these centers, resulting in numerous martyrs and injuries.

Today, the flour warehouses are completely empty, and bakeries have ceased operations due to the lack of flour or because they have been targeted in airstrikes, followed by disruptions in the supply of gas needed to run them.

In Gaza, the only remaining source of bread distribution is the Jordanian mobile bakery, which arrived in the besieged enclave on December 24, 2024, and is operating in collaboration with the World Central Kitchen Organization.

On April 27, 2025, the organization stated that the Jordanian mobile bakery in Gaza operates 19 hours a day to meet urgent needs and deliver bread to displaced families.

Earlier, the World Central Kitchen had announced that it was the only functioning bakery in the enclave, amidst a severe flour shortage caused by the closure of border crossings.

Since the onset of the ongoing genocidal crimes on Gaza, "Israel" has implemented a policy of starvation and dehydration as its primary form of collective punishment, targeting all segments of the population, alongside indiscriminate killing and bombing of residential areas.

This policy has deepened following two temporary ceasefires: the first in November 2024, lasting several days, and the second from January 19 to March 18, 2025.

The halt in food aid has rapidly depleted remaining stocks, exacerbating the threat of famine, particularly among vulnerable groups and children. Meanwhile, the prices of the few available food items have soared sharply.

Systematic Starvation

In its latest statement on the humanitarian situation, posted on X, the government media office stated that "Israel" is exacerbating the starvation of children in Gaza amidst an unprecedented spread of acute malnutrition.

On April 28, 2025, it condemned the ongoing actions, describing them as "a systematic crime against innocent civilians, particularly children," with "Israel" using starvation and dehydration as a deliberate weapon of war. 

This, the statement argued, is a calculated attempt to annihilate life in Gaza, in flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law.

As part of its policy of starvation, "Israel" has targeted 28 food kitchens and 37 distribution centers for aid and supplies, while also killing 748 individuals, including police officers and personnel tasked with securing these sites.

According to a statement from the government media office on April 18, 2025, 52 people, the majority of whom were children, have died as a result of malnutrition, food shortages, and the ongoing starvation policy.

On April 26, Hamas warned that Gaza is entering a phase of famine as the Israeli military continues its complete blockade of the enclave, preventing the entry of food, water, medicine, and fuel, threatening the lives of over two million people.

The group stated that Benjamin Netanyahu's government is using starvation as a weapon, deliberately targeting water stations and food distribution centers, actions that represent some of the most egregious violations of international law and humanitarian standards.

Earlier, Cindy McCain, the executive director of the United Nations World Food Program, announced that the organization had exhausted all of its food supplies in Gaza, as "Israel" has blocked humanitarian aid from entering the enclave for the past seven weeks.

This situation has even prompted critical voices within "Israel," questioning the Netanyahu government's calculations on how long Gaza's food supplies will last before they are completely depleted.

On April 16, 2025, Israeli Channel 11 reported that Israeli security agencies estimate that the available food and humanitarian aid in Gaza will only sustain the population for about a month.

"Israel" maintains that halting the entry of trucks carrying water, food, and fuel will increase pressure on Hamas, adding that the situation in Gaza will further deteriorate if prisoners are not released.

Israeli officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and others, are urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold a vote in the Security Cabinet against allowing aid into Gaza.

On April 23, 2025, during a visit to the United States, Ben-Gvir incited the bombing of food and aid storage facilities in Gaza.

He explained that Republican officials in the United States "expressed their support for my very clear position on how to act in Gaza, namely that food and aid storage facilities should be bombed to create military and political pressure to bring our hostages home safely."

Amid the disregard for humanitarian suffering, Israeli newspapers have begun to criticize the systematic starvation of civilians in Gaza.

Yedioth Ahronoth reported that "world leaders are demanding answers, or at least an explanation, as to why food has not entered Gaza for 50 days, but to no avail."

"Israel has not bothered to seriously address the issue of humanitarian aid, nor has it considered the importance of establishing a civilian body in collaboration with European powers to facilitate the delivery of assistance."

"With minimal help from its allies abroad, Israel could have long ago found a way to secure food supplies for Gaza," Yedioth Ahronoth added.

Meanwhile, Haaretz described the Israeli rhetoric urging genocide and the starvation of the entire Palestinian population as having taken on a "Nazi-like" character.

In an article by columnist Gideon Levy, Haaretz explained that by broadcasting such incitement, Israeli media had removed all pretenses, effectively legitimizing the bloodshed.

In another piece, Haaretz stated that the starvation of Gaza had become an openly declared policy and a source of pride for Netanyahu's government, emphasizing that "Israel must stop starving Gaza."

"This policy is based on a populist and false narrative that links humanitarian aid for Gazans to Hamas' military capabilities. The result is a continuing humanitarian crime," said the newspaper.

"Under the nightmarish leadership of the Israeli government and the administration of President Donald Trump, Israel's starvation of more than two million Palestinians has become entirely normalized," Haaretz reported.