April 28, 2025
BY ESHERU KWEKU
The descendants of those marked for death by starvation are now using starvation as a weapon against a defenceless population as history repeats itself.
As the world reflected on the 80th anniversary of the British liberation of Bergen-Belsen—a Nazi concentration camp where starvation was wielded as a tool of genocide—a haunting parallel is unfolding in Gaza. For weeks, the besieged territory has been suffocating under Israel’s blockade, which has choked off food, fuel, and medical supplies to its 2.3 million residents. The harrowing echoes of the past are undeniable.
Since the 2nd of March 2025 Israel hasn’t allowed any humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, Israel has weaponized starvation as a form of collective punishment. pic.twitter.com/dbKIkRQvjs
— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) April 28, 2025
At Bergen-Belsen, survivors bore testimony to the horrors of systemic starvation and inhumane deprivation—a fierce death camp in Hitler’s Nazi-Germany. Today, Gaza’s families endure their own form of slow death, boiling scraps to survive and watching their children suffer from malnutrition. Aid organisations warn of devastating long-term consequences, particularly for the young, as essential nutrients all but vanish from their diets. The blockade has been condemned by rights groups as a “starvation tactic,” with many labelling it a war crime.
Children face severe malnutrition and imminent starvation in Gaza
The stark contrast lies in history’s perception of moral clarity. Britain’s role in liberating camps like Bergen-Belsen was celebrated as a triumph of humanity. Yet today, Britain and much of the West stand accused of complicity. By supplying Israel with military aid and weaponry to carry out similar crimes against humanity, they are seen not only as enablers but as participants in what many describe as genocidal policies against the Palestinians.
Israel justifies its blockade as a strategy to pressure Hamas, yet the reality on the ground reveals unimaginable civilian suffering. Markets are barren, hospitals lack the most basic supplies, and families barter their last possessions for food. Public outcry, however, has been met with silence—or active endorsement—by Western powers.
A child starves as Israel blocks food an aid from entering Gaza
As Britain marked the anniversary of its heroic role in 1945 just this weekend, a glaring hypocrisy emerges. Commemorating the liberation of victims from a genocidal regime while supporting policies of deprivation in Gaza is a contradiction that cannot go unchallenged. The lessons of history demand more than solemn remembrance; they demand urgent action. Without this, the promise of “never again” becomes little more than an empty phrase.
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