Hamas-affiliated media outlets have abruptly shifted their messaging in recent days, moving from long-running accusations that Gaza faced an Israeli-induced famine to new claims that residents are “being forced to gain weight.”

A recent Hamas-linked publication complained that Gaza’s supermarkets are “overflowing” with chocolate, soda, cigarettes, flour, sugar and cheese products used in pastries and pizza. One resident quoted by the outlet claimed he was “compelled” to consume processed foods and carbohydrates.

The allegations stand in stunning contrast to the group’s earlier assertions that Israel was starving the population — claims that were widely amplified in the media but never aligned with documented health trends in the territory.

For years, medical research has pointed to high levels of obesity and metabolic disease in Gaza. A 2019 study found that nearly half of adults over age 42 had Type 2 diabetes, while Gaza’s own Health Ministry reported that close to 10 percent of the population suffered from diabetes, which accounted for more than 11 percent of local deaths. Pediatric studies conducted over the past decade showed significant rates of overweight and obesity among Gaza adolescents, with some surveys placing the figure at roughly one-third of boys and girls. Epidemiologists say these longstanding conditions make claims of widespread famine scientifically untenable.

A new UNICEF report comparing childhood obesity in Israel and the Palestinian territories reinforced those concerns. According to the study, obesity was consistently higher among Palestinian children across all age groups measured. Analysts noted that the data contradicts allegations of systemic deprivation and instead suggest a population grappling with chronic overnutrition.

International comparisons paint a similar picture. The Global Obesity Observatory, an EU-backed project, ranks the Palestinian territories as the 27th highest population in global obesity — similar to neighboring Jordan and Egypt — while Israel is placed far lower on the list at 101st. Adult obesity in the Palestinian territories stands at an estimated 38.5 percent, well above Israel’s rate and significantly higher than that of many nations facing real food insecurity. Public health experts have observed that several African countries receiving far less aid exhibit obesity rates in the single digits, a reflection of their genuine food scarcity.

The situation has renewed criticism of Gaza’s longstanding aid infrastructure. For more than 70 years, UNRWA, the United Nations agency dedicated specifically to Palestinian populations, has administered extensive welfare and food distribution programs in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Critics argue that the scale and duration of this aid system — coupled with billions of dollars sent from the United States, the European Union, Japan and other donors — demand a deeper evaluation in light of the region’s persistently high obesity rates.

The pattern is not unique to Gaza. During Yemen’s civil war, international agencies repeatedly invoked the threat of famine to rally global assistance for Houthi-controlled areas. Yet population figures continued to rise, and health data showed child obesity rates far above those observed in countries suffering true famine conditions. Humanitarian researchers argue that famine narratives in conflict zones have increasingly been used as political tools rather than accurate reflections of nutritional realities.

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