Statement by Caritas Internationalis on the usage of hunger as a tool for war and attack on Gaza

raportcsr.pl 2 months ago

We present the Caritas Internationalis message on the situation in Gaza. The message came into effect due to the fact that Israel declared Gaza a combat region and cut off the city from humanitarian aid. The number of deaths in the enclave increased to over 63 thousand. Israel's army continues. The demands for economical sanctions on Israel and the companies that support it are expanding in the EU.

Photos and the movie were published by the editors of ReportCSR.pl, the text besides comes from us.

Here is the full content of the statement

On 20 August 2025, Israel's armed forces stormed the city of Gaza, sheltering nearly a million displaced civilians, a large part of whom had already suffered from malnutrition. 2 days later, on 22 August, the United Nations officially declared the state of famine in this area. The effects of the action were already disastrous, as confirmed by the deaths of 273 people, including 112 children, due to starvation.

This message does not constitute a warning, but is simply a grim confirmation of the reports that humanitarian organisations have been reporting for months: the population of Gaza has been deliberately brought to the brink of starvation for a long time. This situation is not a tragic coincidence, but a consequence of conscious decisions. People deprived of shelter, means of life, and safety were left to die in front of the world.

Current events cannot be referred to as war activities. It is the systematic demolition of civilian life. The siege of Gaza has evolved into a device of destruction, sustained by a sense of impunity and silence, or even the participation of influential states. Hunger is not a natural disaster in this situation, but a consequence of a targeted strategy that includes blocking humanitarian supplies, bombing food convoys, destroying infrastructure and refusing to meet the basic needs of the population.

Caritas Internationalis is an eyewitness to this horror. Civilians, mostly children and women, are deliberately starving, bombarded and killed.The influential governments, corporations and multinationals have contributed to this disaster, providing military support, financial assistance and diplomatic cover. Their silence is not an act of neutrality – it is simply a permission. global communities are limited to expressing concern and renewing generic calls, which is contrary to real needs. These double standards service only to gain time to proceed destructive action.

Caritas Internationalis sees the situation in Gaza as a conscious attack on human dignity and evidence of the collapse of moral order, leadership, work and humanity itself. In the light of the inspiration of the Spirit who leads us, Caritas Internationalis condemns all these actions and omissions in the harshest words. They constitute a public disregard for fundamental values and principles of humanity and a clear violation of global law, global humanitarian law and global human rights law, as well as many provisions of the UN Convention, including the Convention on the Prevention and punishment of Genocide Crimes.

As Pope Francis reminds us in Fratella Tutti's encyclical: "Or we will all be saved together, or no 1 will be saved." The Scriptures oblige us: “Open your mouth to the mute” (Proverbs 31:8) and “Whatever you have not done to 1 of the least, you have not done to me” (Matthew 25:45).

Caritas Internationalis makes the following demands:

Immediate and permanent ceasefire.
Unlimited access to humanitarian aid to end hunger and supply care.
Release all hostages and persons detained arbitrarily.
Location of UN peacekeeping forces to defend civilians.
Protection of all civilians, with peculiar emphasis on children, women and the elderly.
To hold all perpetrators and their associates accountable in national and global courts.
Full implementation of the Advisory Opinion of the global Court of Justice of 19 July 2024, which includes

– Terminate Israel's unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

– Discontinuation of settlement activities and evacuation of settlers.

– Ensuring compensation.

– Require countries to reject this illegal situation.

– Command the UN authorities to take concrete steps to end the occupation.

Hunger in Gaza is simply a test of moral integrity that besides many have failed. The hunger of the population is simply a desecration of life. Silence in the face of this situation makes man an accessory.

Caritas Internationalis calls on all people of religion and conscience to rise their voice, exert force on their governments and request justice. The planet is watching. past records. And Gaza is waiting not for words, but for rescue.