Gaza’s health ministry has described the situation as a catastrophic crisis. In the region, 900,000 children are at risk of hunger and 70,000 of them display early characteristics of malnutrition. Multiple humanitarian organizations, such as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), have sounded the alarm by calling the dire humanitarian conditions “unprecedented.” They caution that famished Gazans now fit the profile of “walking corpses.” This disappointing state of affairs comes even as ceasefire talks continue with major international stakeholders.
As tensions boil over, prepare to meet Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer. He’s scheduled to discuss it with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff on the breathtakingly stunning Italian island of Sardinia. During this meeting, we hope to build on that momentum to continue pushing the ceasefire negotiations. Most recently, Hamas has provided a fourth response to the mediators working on a ceasefire deal. This final change is indicative of their commitment to continue working towards a deal.
Israel has approved significant new budget transfers for investment in transportation infrastructure in the occupied West Bank. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claimed that this project would be the creation of “de facto sovereignty” over the territory. Yet, his comment certainly points to the complex political currents at work in this important region.
Even as the humanitarian crisis has continued to spiral upward, Israel has rejected claims it is waging famine in Gaza. In response, authorities have instead blamed Hamas for supposedly orchestrating food shortages. More than 100 aid organizations have called on Israel to allow the full flow of food and clean water into Gaza.
Accounts out of Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza indicate that two individuals have already succumbed to malnutrition. This underscores the critical and immediate need for humanitarian assistance across the region. According to the hospital’s director, this is the heartbreaking reality, underscoring the devastating toll that the protracted conflict takes on vulnerable populations.
International pressure continues to mount as US, Israeli, and Qatari officials gather in Italy for talks on possible ceasefire terms. The U.S., Qatar, and Egypt are all pressuring Hamas as much as possible to come to a deal. This settlement would provide at least some relief to Gazans who are suffering tremendously. In a significant move, Israel’s negotiating team was recalled from Qatar to deliberate on Hamas’ response to the latest ceasefire proposal.
UNRWA has highlighted the stark contrast between the suffering in Gaza and the abundance of food available just kilometers away. “People are being starved, while a few kilometers away supermarkets are loaded with food,” they stated. We welcome this statement and reiterate the importance of providing comprehensive humanitarian access and assistance to those impacted by this extraordinary crisis.
No surprise that Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization has called attention to the urgent situation in Gaza. He dramatically declared, “This is due to (the) blockade.” He emphasized that while there is some access for aid, it remains insufficient: “And then of course there is an opening now, but it’s not enough. It is just a trickle and people are starving.” He expressed frustration at the ongoing challenges: “I don’t know why we’re even splitting hairs here.”
This hazardous trend remains deeply troubling as the sound of families in Gaza calling out in anguish over their loved ones continues to fill the air. Since the unprecedented July 2023 coup, we have heard tragic accounts of parents grieving their children who perished waiting in line for food during this crisis. Mohammed Abu Salmiya remarked on the severity of the situation, attributing it to “the deliberate starvation in the Gaza Strip.”
The international community is deeply worried by the growing humanitarian consequences of these protracted war. UN Secretary General’s spokesperson noted that there are “tremendous bureaucratic impediments” and “tremendous security impediments” hindering aid efforts, adding, “I think there’s a lack of willingness to allow us to do our work.”
