Originally Posted by Baraka_Guru

A siege does not require raids or attacks. To besiege someone is to surround them with forces that allow you to control (i.e. cut off) the supplies that come in and out of the area, usually with the hope of garnering capitulation through deprivation. Sieges often do have assaults, but they can go for months without direct aggression, as we've seen here. For some perspective, it was reported last year that the humanitarian situation in the area has hit a 40-year low. The lowest since Israel occupied the area in 1967. (Up to 80% were relying on humanitarian aid and more than 1/4 had no running water. I say were and had because I'm assuming the situation is worse now.)

What Israel has conducted upon Gaza over the past 18 months is nothing short of a siege, and as you can clearly see now, here is the assault aspect of it. From a humanitarian standpoint, this is an atrocity.