Thu Jul 17 10:22:08 UTC 2025: **Gaza Suffocates Under Man-Made Heatwave as Aid Blockade Worsens Humanitarian Crisis**
**Gaza City** – As Western Europe grapples with unprecedented heatwaves, residents of Gaza are facing a far more dire reality: a summer of engineered suffering where heat, thirst, and hunger are weapons of war.
An Al Jazeera contributor reports that the ongoing Israeli military actions have transformed the region into an “open-air furnace,” leaving Gazans with no respite from the scorching temperatures. Homes have been destroyed, water is scarce and polluted, and basic necessities like sunscreen are unattainable luxuries.
“We cannot ‘limit outdoor activity’ because everything we need to survive is outside,” the author writes, describing the daily struggle to find water and food amidst the rubble.
The destruction caused by relentless bombing has not only created a climate crisis but also weaponized the environment. Greenhouse gas emissions, dust, and unchecked fires have turned Gaza into a shadeless wasteland, while vital infrastructure, like desalination and pumping stations, have been decimated.
The author describes the displacement camps as “slow-cooking chambers,” overcrowded tents that trap heat and disease. The lack of aid, particularly since March, has led to engineered starvation, with reports of people being forced to crawl for flour under the blazing sun, facing humiliation and potential violence.
“This is not a climate crisis. This is weather used as a weapon,” the author argues. “Gaza is not just burning – it is being suffocated under a man-made sun.”
First Piper 