The Starvation Regime and Plausible Deniability for War Crimes

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with human rights attorney Sari Bashi and policy expert Bushra Khalidi about the current state of humanitarian aid in Gaza, the bureaucracy of restrictions -- including the stated purpose of restricting aid -- and whether international law continues to carry meaning after two years of genocide. Recorded on October 14, 2025. Ahmed Moor is a Palestinian-American writer born in Gaza and a 2025 Fellow at FMEP. He is an advisory board member of the US Campaign for Palestinian rights, co-editor of After Zionism (Saqi Books) and is currently writing a book about Palestine. He also currently serves on the board of the Independence Media Foundation. His work has been published in The Guardian, The London Review of Books, The Nation, and elsewhere. He earned a BA at the University of Pennsylvania and an MPP at Harvard University. Sari Bashi is a human rights lawyer, writer, analyst, senior leader and public speaker with 20 years of experience advocating for human rights, litigating international humanitarian duties, leading multidisciplinary teams in complex and dynamic situations, creating systems to enhance organizational effectiveness, forging strategic partnerships based on shared values, fundraising and managing risk. She is the co-founder and former executive director of Gisha-Legal Center for Freedom of Movement (www.gisha.org), the Israeli human rights organization promoting the right to freedom of movement for Palestinians, especially residents of the Gaza Strip. She served as Program Director for Human Rights Watch and as a member of its Executive Committee, leading the organization’s global research and supervising a staff of 270 people in 80 countries working on 16 regional and thematic human rights issues. She is an award-winning author of Maqluba: Upside-Down Love, a memoir-love story published in Hebrew, Italian and Dutch (forthcoming). She has also served as the Israel/Palestine country director at Human Rights Watch and research director at Democracy for the Arab World Now. She is currently working as an independent consultant and human rights lawyer, writing expert legal opinions, conducting mapping, research and analysis for international organizations, lecturing publicly and writing short and long form narrative pieces. Bushra Khalidi is the Policy Lead for the Occupied Territories at Oxfam, where she leads advocacy, campaigns, and humanitarian policy to address pressing global challenges. At Oxfam, Bushra prioritizes collaborative efforts to influence policy reforms and drive impactful campaigns that support vulnerable communities worldwide. Her work reflects a deep commitment to advancing equitable policies and fostering sustainable development. Original music by Jalal Yacquoub.