Columbia University professors refute ICC and UN Gaza famine claims
"If there was a famine somewhere in Gaza, it was not instigated by Israel. To the contrary, Israel is engaged in a variety of efforts to ensure sufficient food enters Gaza through land crossings"
Columbia University professors Awi Federgruen and Ran Kivetz have presented research findings asserting that sufficient food supplies are entering Gaza, disputing claims of famine perpetuated by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the United Nations (UN, The Jerusalem Post reported on Tuesday.
Professors Federgruen, Chair of Columbia University Business School’s Decision, Risk and Operations Division, and Kivetz, the Philip H. Geier Professor at Columbia University Business School, have analyzed extensive data from sources such as COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) and the UN.
They argue that the narrative blaming Israel for causing famine in Gaza is a "myth" and that sufficient humanitarian aid is being provided.
The professors highlighted that the ICC has accused Israel of using starvation as a method of warfare and has sought arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The ICC alleges that Israel is deliberately targeting civilians and denying humanitarian relief. Federgruen and Kivetz challenge these claims, asserting that their research shows Israel is ensuring adequate food supplies reach Gaza.
Their findings indicate that "250 truckloads suffice to feed the entire Gazan population, in accordance with a normal diet in North America."
Despite disruptions, such as the temporary closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing following a Hamas rocket attack on May 5, the supply chain has resumed, with Israel planning to increase deliveries to 400-500 truckloads per day. Additionally, Israel halts military offensives for four hours daily to facilitate these deliveries.
The research underscores that while sufficient food enters Gaza, its distribution within the territory is inconsistent, largely due to sabotage and theft by Hamas. The professors contend that the ICC, UN, and international community should focus on Hamas's role in these issues rather than attributing the blame to Israel.
"The ICC, the UN, and the international community should put blame only where it belongs: on Hamas, which started the war by slaughtering more than 1,000 Israeli and foreign civilians and by taking more than 200 hostages," Federgruen and Kivetz stated.
The professors criticized mainstream media for distorting information from Gaza, which they believe has unfairly framed Israel as the cause of the alleged famine.
They pointed to a March 2024 report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), an arm of the UN, which predicted a major famine in Gaza allegedly provoked by Israel. This report, they argue, has been misinterpreted and used to propagate false accusations.
Federgruen and Kivetz emphasize that their analysis is based on hard data, demonstrating that the food supply entering Gaza is more than sufficient to meet the needs of its 2.2 million residents. They calculate that 250 truckloads, each carrying 20 tons of food, provide 2.25 kilograms of food per person daily, aligning with the average North American diet.
Their findings have been corroborated by a recent working paper from researchers at Israeli universities and the Ministry of Health, which concluded that every Gazan received 3,374 kilocalories per day, far exceeding the required 2,100 kilocalories.
While acknowledging the complexities of war and Hamas's control over distribution, the professors assert that any instances of famine in Gaza are not caused by Israel.
"If there was a famine somewhere in Gaza, it was not instigated by Israel. To the contrary, Israel is engaged in a variety of efforts to ensure that sufficient food enters Gaza through land crossings," they concluded.