What have we done? As a UN-backed monitor confirms that “the worst-case scenario of famine is now unfolding in Gaza,” this should have been the urgent question echoing in the room when Keir Starmer met Donald Trump this week. Israel’s intentional starvation of Gaza is, after all, a crime openly admitted, planned, and carried out in full view.
Starmer has said the UK would recognize Palestinian statehood if Israel refuses a ceasefire and a two-state solution—but don’t be fooled. Palestinian self-determination is an inherent right, not a bargaining chip. Recognition would be a symbolic gesture, far easier than imposing real consequences like sanctions or halting arms sales. The hand-wringing of Western politicians and media won’t feed Gaza’s starving children, nor will it absolve their complicity.
From the start, Israel’s leaders have openly stated their intent to starve Gaza. “I’ve never seen a man-made famine like this in my lifetime,” says Martin Griffiths, the UN’s former humanitarian chief. On October 9, 2023, Israel’s then-defense minister Yoav Gallant announced a “complete siege” on Gaza—”no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel”—justifying it by calling Palestinians “human animals.” The next day, Israeli general Ghassan Alian, overseeing humanitarian affairs in Gaza and the West Bank, declared Gazans “human beasts” who would face “total blockade… no electricity, no water, just damage. You wanted hell, you will get hell.”
A week later, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed, “We will not allow humanitarian aid in the form of food or medicine from our territory into Gaza.” Many Western media outlets either ignored these statements or buried them without explaining their blatantly illegal intent. Had they been reported properly, Israel’s assault would have been exposed as a criminal campaign, not self-defense.
Israel’s Western allies knew exactly what was happening. In March 2024, then-Foreign Secretary David Cameron documented Israel’s tactics to block aid—yet Britain did nothing. In April, two U.S. agencies confirmed Israel was deliberately obstructing aid, legally requiring an arms embargo. The Biden administration overruled it. Later, the U.S. sent a public letter detailing Israeli obstruction, but Tel Aviv rightly saw it as election-year posturing—ignored it without consequence.
Israel has killed more aid workers than any nation in history—over 400 by spring 2024. It systematically targeted UNRWA, Gaza’s main aid agency, banning it from occupied territories last October. Its military killed police escorting aid convoys. Beyond blocking aid, Israel’s assault has rendered nearly all farmland unusable, destroyed 80% of crops, and wiped out livestock. Gaza’s port and fishing boats are demolished; Palestinians who dare to fish face death.
Massacres of starving civilians seeking aid have been routine. In February 2024, over a hundred people waiting for flour were slaughtered by Israeli forces—yet, as always, the world looked away.But the genocide—media outlets treated Israel’s denials, deflections, and lies as credible claims. A later CNN investigation confirmed what should have been obvious from the start: the Israeli military was responsible. By then, however, public attention had moved on.
In March, Israel imposed a total siege and replaced the UN’s effective aid system with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Its so-called “distribution sites” have become deadly traps. As the UN-backed IPC reports, the aid provided is not only insufficient but often unusable because Israel has deprived Palestinians of cooking gas and clean water. Over a thousand civilians have been killed trying to reach this aid. Aid agencies warn that the GHF is designed to lure starving people south, where they can be confined—as former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described it—in a “concentration camp” before being deported.
Despite Israel’s blatant guilt, Western politicians and media continue to indulge its lies. On Monday, Donald Trump repeated the false claim that Hamas steals “a lot of the food.” This has been refuted by Cindy McCain, head of the World Food Programme, as well as internal U.S. government assessments and even Israeli officials. In reality, it’s criminal gangs backed by Israel—linked to Islamic State, according to Netanyahu’s own former deputy—that are looting aid.
The ICC’s arrest warrants, issued eight months ago, focused on Israel’s deliberate starvation campaign for good reason: the evidence is undeniable. Even if aid were suddenly increased, many Palestinians would still die from irreversible damage caused by prolonged hunger. Yet no real solution is in sight. The 73 aid trucks allowed in on Monday were forced onto unsafe routes and later looted.
Meanwhile, our prime minister promotes airdrops—ineffective, poorly targeted, and sometimes deadly when parcels fall on people. These measures serve only to shield Israel, creating the illusion of action while it continues mass starvation. But what else can we expect from Keir Starmer, who initially supported Israel’s siege, then tried to deny it?
What have we done? If Western leaders had any shame, this question would haunt them. The answer is clear: they enabled the starvation of an entire people. They knew—because the evidence has been overwhelming for 21 months, and because Israel proudly broadcast its crimes. Yet those responsible won’t hold themselves accountable. That task will fall to history—and to the courts.
Owen Jones is a Guardian columnist.
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