JERUSALEM — For the past month, the northern region of Gaza has experienced a dire food shortage, with nearly all supplies blocked from entering the area amid a severe Israeli military blockade. As the bombing continues unabated, countless Palestinians struggle to ration their remaining lentils and flour in a bid to stay alive. Some individuals take perilous risks to scavenge for food amid the ruins of bombed structures, despite the dangers that lurk outside.

Many have fled to Gaza City, only to find the situation marginally improved. Local hospitals report alarming spikes in child malnutrition, with one nutritionist tending to a pregnant woman who weighed a mere 40 kilograms (88 pounds). “We are being starved as a tactic to force us to leave our homes,” lamented Mohammed Arqouq, who, alongside his family of eight, refuses to abandon their home in northern Gaza, expressing their resolve to endure the situation.

Medical professionals are sounding the alarm about escalating hunger levels due to the month-long siege imposed by Israel, which commenced in early October as part of an offensive to eliminate militant threats. While Hamas militants have established themselves in the area, launching counterattacks from underground tunnels, Israeli forces have set up checkpoints, coercing residents to evacuate. Many Palestinians are increasingly apprehensive that Israel’s long-term objective is to depopulate northern Gaza.

A panel of food security experts announced on Friday that famine either looms or may already be occurring in the northern territories. This urgent crisis coincides with an impending deadline next week, wherein the Biden administration has urged Israel to increase humanitarian assistance into Gaza or potentially face consequences regarding U.S. military funding. Current U.S. guidelines stipulate that a minimum of 350 aid trucks per day is necessary, yet Israel’s performance has fallen drastically short. In October, averages showed only 57 trucks daily, which increased slightly to 81 during the first week of November.

The U.N. has recorded even lower figures, estimating just 37 trucks entering Gaza each day since early October. It has noted that numerous supplies remain stranded at the border due to ongoing military activities and widespread lawlessness, impeding their collection.

The U.S. State Department acknowledged some progress from Israel, such as the commencement of a new crossing into central Gaza, yet stressed that merely opening additional routes is not enough without increased humanitarian aid flowing through them.

Residents of Gaza face intense daily hardships, with Israeli forces relentlessly targeting communities such as Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and Jabaliya refugee camp. Witness accounts indicate heavy confrontations between militants and military troops. Limited food supplies have made their way to Gaza City; however, nothing has reached the northern towns for over 30 days, as estimated by Louise Wateridge, spokesperson for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

Late in October, the Israeli government admitted that little aid reached Jabaliya due to military “operational constraints,” following appeals from local human rights groups. Recently, COGAT reported that it allowed 11 trucks of provisions into Beit Hanoun and Jabaliya, but workers from the World Food Programme (WFP) revealed that Israeli forces forced them to unload supplies at a checkpoint before they could be distributed, leaving the fate of those resources uncertain.

The plight of Palestinians in northern Gaza is grim, as they recount desperate attempts to secure food, water, and safety while their homes crumble from continuous bombardments. Arqouq described his nocturnal forays to search through bombed-out buildings, where he sometimes finds scant remnants like half-empty flour bags or canned goods.

His family’s situation is made more precarious by their dependence on dwindling supplies at a Jabaliya school serving as a makeshift shelter. “We are like animals foraging for food among the debris,” stated Um Saber, a widow with six children forced to leave a school shelter after it was struck, and now living begrudgingly with her extended family.

Ahmed Abu Awda, a 28-year-old father of three living with relatives in Jabaliya, mentioned that they have limited their food consumption even further to ensure that the children can eat. “There are days when we go without eating,” he shared.

Another resident, Lubna, a mother of five, recounted the harrowing escape from bombardments, leaving behind essential supplies. She revealed that her husband risks his safety to salvage flour from demolished homes, remarking that it’s often inedible due to mold and requires extensive sifting before use. Her daughter, Selina, shows visible signs of malnourishment.

Amid this turmoil, many Palestinians harbor fears that Israel’s strategy is geared towards depopulating northern Gaza under a supposed “surrender-or-starve” strategy endorsed by former military leaders. The Israeli military has refuted such claims but has not dismissed them outright. There are increasing reports of military personnel conducting door-to-door searches, compelling residents to head toward Gaza City.

On Thursday, the Israeli forces initiated new evacuation orders in parts of Gaza City, raising concerns of a ground invasion. As many as 14,000 internally displaced individuals have sought refuge there. Resources are equally strained for the hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza City, which has also suffered extensive damage from relentless military operations.

Dr. Rana Soboh, a nutrition expert at Patient Friend Benevolent Hospital in Gaza City, voices concerns about the increasing number of malnourished patients, treating around 350 cases daily, primarily from the north. She describes the alarming condition of many patients, including a woman who is 32 weeks pregnant yet weighs only 40 kilograms.

“We are trapped in a nightmare, facing the looming threat of famine that hangs over Gaza,” Dr. Soboh expressed.

The issue of malnutrition had been escalating long before the current siege began; in September alone, the hospital recorded an influx of over 4,780 children suffering from malnutrition, compared to just 1,100 in July. Dr. Soboh shared that medical teams receive frantic calls from residents in dire need of assistance.

Now based in Gaza City after seeking refuge from the chaos, she and her family share cramped quarters with 22 others. Food availability remains precarious; on Thursday, she had only a scant piece of bread and a small dish of yellow lentils to eat throughout the day.

As winter approaches, many are forced to build makeshift tents amid the ruins. Approximately 1,500 people have resorted to living in a UN school already severely damaged by earlier strikes, where structural collapse remains an imminent threat.

Unsanitary conditions are rampant, with damaged toilets resulting in waste accumulating in classrooms. Other residents, unable to find proper shelter, are left to fashion makeshift living spaces among the debris, fashioning tarps for modest cover.

“It resembles the carcass of a city,” remarked Wateridge, summing up the urgent and tragic situation facing the people of Gaza.