"Body Sacrifices Own Tissue": Gaza Doctor On The Impact Of Starvation
By day one to three, once glycogen is depleted, the body switches to using fat, converting it into ketones to keep the brain functioning. At this point, the body enters a state of full survival mode.
From two to five days, the toll becomes severe. The body begins breaking down its own muscle tissue, including vital organs like the heart, in a desperate attempt to stay alive.
"The body sacrifices its own tissue just to survive," Dr Mughaisib explains. "This is when children stop crying."
Dr Mughaisib is not only describing starvation, he is living it.
"For the past months, I have been surviving on one meal per day," he said.
"And in the last few days, I have even had only one meal every two days. Not because I cannot afford it, but because there is nothing to buy. The markets are completely empty."
Recent reports detail how health workers are collapsing from hunger while transporting patients. Ambulance drivers are starving. Children are dying.
"We are expected to save lives while our own are slowly being consumed," the doctor said. "This is not just about hunger, but about the slow destruction of life, ability, and humanity."
"This has to stop. To use food, water, and aid as weapons in this world, it's not acceptable at all," he added.
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Israel's war on Gaza has now entered its 21st month, and the humanitarian crisis is worsening by the day. Since October 7, 2023, close to 60,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 142,500 injured, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. At least 17,400 children are among the dead, one of the highest child death tolls.
UN agencies warn that Gaza is now on the brink of famine. Over 470,000 people, including 71,000 children under five, are starving. Israel's full blockade, in place since March 2, has cut off nearly all access to food, medicine, fuel, and aid.
More than 1,060 people have been killed trying to reach food distribution points. UN and human rights organisations continue to accuse Israeli authorities of using starvation as a weapon, a claim Israel rejects, arguing administrative challenges and Hamas interference are the cause.
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