New study shuts down ICC charges against Israel over Gaza starvation claims

A newly released study is challenging the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation of starvation claims against Israel and exposes the Hamas terror organization’s role in controlling aid distribution. 

Just last week, as a result of Hamas terrorists’ refusal to extend the ceasefire deal and start releasing the 59 hostages still held in Gaza, the Israeli government decided to halt all goods and supplies going into Gaza. 

Yet despite howls of criticism from U.N. relief chief Tom Fletcher, who called the decision “alarming,” the Trump administration has given its blessing to the move. 

Retired Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a former IDF international spokesperson and now a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, dismissed claims of starvation, telling Fox News Digital that Hamas hoards supplies while Israel ensures aid enters. “Over 25,200 trucks arrived during the ceasefire – enough for four months. If there’s hunger, it’s because of Hamas corruption, not a lack of food,” he said.

The study published by Israeli public health experts, based on data from Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), challenges these claims, showing no evidence of famine or intentional deprivation.

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The study, named “Food supplied to Gaza during seven months of the Hamas-Israel war,” was led by nutrition and public health experts Aron Troen and Ronit Endevelt, along with researchers from multiple Israeli universities and the Ministry of Health. The study analyzed food shipments into Gaza from January to July 2024. 

Using international food composition databases and the Sphere humanitarian standards, they tracked calorie intake, nutritional value, and humanitarian aid efforts, providing an objective, data-driven analysis of food supplies delivered to Gaza during the first seven months of the war.

The research assessed food shipments from international donors processed through COGAT. Each item was categorized based on its energy content, protein, fat and micronutrient composition. The total nutritional supply per capita was then measured against international benchmarks to ensure accuracy.

“We didn’t enter politics,” said professor Ronit Endevelt. “We just wanted to know if, from a nutritional perspective, the food entering Gaza was sufficient. We double-checked our data multiple times to avoid exaggeration.”

Between January and April 2024, 14,916 trucks carrying 227,854 tons of food entered Gaza, averaging 124 food trucks per day. The study found that the daily per capita caloric supply averaged 3,374 kcal, with 101 grams of protein and 80.6 grams of fat – meeting or exceeding international humanitarian food aid standards.

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“In March 2024, the United Nations Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned of imminent famine in Gaza. Within days, cautious technical language gave way to media headlines and political statements claiming mass starvation was already underway,” professor Troen told Fox News Digital. 

“One of the most persistent falsehoods has been the claim that before the war, 500 or more humanitarian trucks entered Gaza daily, and that this number was necessary to meet the population’s needs. In reality, the number of food trucks was around or fewer than 100 per day before the war, and has since increased substantially,” he continued. “Our study aimed to address that gap by analyzing verified food shipments. The numbers show that while there were variations, at no point did the food supply drop to starvation levels.”

When asked specifically about testimonies obtained by Fox News Digital from Gazans who reported struggling to find food on certain days, Endevelt acknowledged the study did not track final distribution within Gaza. “We can’t say there was no hunger, but we can confirm enough food entered,” she said. “Most of the time, in most months, there was enough food available.”

A key finding of the study is the distinction between food supply and distribution. “Hamas systematically weaponized food distribution, using it as a tool of control,” said Endevelt. “Aid often didn’t reach those in need because Hamas seized supplies, sold them on the black market, or prioritized its own fighters. Reports of famine are not due to a lack of aid but Hamas’ deliberate strategy of restricting access to maintain power and profit.”

Despite these findings, the ICC investigation and global criticism continued. “IPC reports, widely cited as evidence against Israel, failed to mention Hamas’ role in manipulating aid,” Troen said.

When asked by Fox News Digital whether the new findings would be considered in its investigation, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor responded: “The ICC Office of the Prosecutor has a current and ongoing investigation in relation to the Situation in the State of Palestine. The Office’s investigations are built from a wide range of sources. They can encompass Article 15 communications, information from states, international partners, and civil society, publicly available sources of information, and the direct collection of evidence by the Office, including interviews with witnesses.

“The Office is unable to provide further information with respect to details of its investigative activities in response to your request at this stage. Confidentiality is a crucial part of our work and is essential to protect the integrity of the investigations and to ensure the safety and security of victims, witnesses, and all those with whom the Office interacts.”

The U.N. spokesman referred Fox News Digital to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which requested more time to respond. However, even after the extension was granted, no response was provided.

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Publishing the study posed challenges. “Given the anti-Israel bias in parts of the scientific community, we opted to submit to the Israeli Journal of Health Policy Research, a peer-reviewed journal under Springer Nature,” Troen said. “We wanted the data available quickly to improve humanitarian efforts. However, the political climate made the review process unusually intense.”

“This was one of the most rigorously reviewed studies I’ve ever worked on,” Endevelt added. “We had five reviewers, far more than usual, and months of back-and-forth revisions to ensure absolute accuracy.”

The research team, including experts from Hebrew University, Ben-Gurion University, Tel Aviv University and Haifa University, conducted the study with a commitment to scientific rigor. The paper, now widely cited, underscores the importance of transparent data in evaluating humanitarian crises.

“One thing is clear: given the amount of food entering Gaza and ongoing reports of hunger, distribution must be improved,” Troen concluded. “Effective cooperation between U.N. agencies, COGAT, and Palestinian civil society, without Hamas’ interference, is crucial to ensuring aid reaches those who need it most.”