The Israeli military announced on Sunday that it would implement a daily pause in operations in parts of Gaza and open new aid corridors, following months of international pressure over a growing hunger crisis in the Palestinian enclave.
Global concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza has strengthened, especially after Israel and the US appeared to step away from ceasefire talks with Hamas on Friday, stating that the group had made it clear it was not interested in reaching a deal.
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Aid organisations said last week that severe hunger is widespread among Gaza’s 2.2 million residents, with food supplies running critically low after Israel halted all deliveries in March.
Though aid resumed in May, it came with tighter restrictions.
Dr. Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, deputy medical coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), explained that within the first six to 24 hours without food, the body starts consuming its glycogen stores for energy.
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In an Instagram video, Mughaisib said, “For the past months, I have been surviving on one meal per day. And in the last few days, I have even had only one meal every two days. Not because I cannot afford it, but because there is nothing to buy. The markets are completely empty. We are expected to save lives while our own are slowly being consumed. This is not just about hunger, but about the slow destruction of life, ability, and humanity.”
Humanitarian crisis in Gaza
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, which operates under Hamas, dozens have recently died due to malnutrition. Since the conflict began, a total of 127 people, among them 85 children, have died from hunger-related causes.
Israel has denied that starvation is occurring in Gaza, saying the aid suspension was intended to increase pressure on Hamas to release the hostages it still holds.
After allowing aid into Gaza in May, Israel claimed there was sufficient food in the territory but accused the United Nations of failing to distribute it properly. In response, the UN stated it was doing its best under the constraints imposed by Israeli restrictions.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a deadly assault in southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza.
In the months since, Israel’s military campaign against Hamas has killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to health officials in the Hamas-run territory. The offensive has devastated much of Gaza and displaced nearly its entire population.
(With inputs from agencies)