Within the past 24 hours, Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 89 people in central Gaza. At each step, local health departments have sounded the alarm on these catastrophic figures. As the humanitarian situation deteriorates, the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, painted a grim picture of the conditions in Gaza, stating that “people in Gaza are neither dead nor alive, they are walking corpses.” The conflict and blockade has intensified the humanitarian crisis, with thousands living in precarious conditions. Consequently, widespread famine and misery afflict the people.
Lazzarini’s statements included alarming warnings about the humanitarian crisis. He disclosed that UNRWA has 6,000 trucks full of food and medical supplies loaded and standing by in Jordan and Egypt. He urged Israel to allow humanitarian partners to bring free and open access to aid into Gaza in a continuous flow. At the moment, Israel is allowing an extremely small fraction of that aid into the territory. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has for years distributed the vast majority of all aid flowing into the region. Sadly, more than 1,000 people have died attempting to access medical supplies since GHF began its operations almost two months ago.
In the past few days, at least 45 have died from hunger-related conditions in Gaza. By Thursday, medical sources were reporting two more deaths. Both victims had been sick and without food for a few days leading up to their demise. These eyewitness testimonies paint a terrifying picture, where people are collapsing and succumbing to death by starvation in record numbers.
On Wednesday, thousands of these demonstrators down Tel Aviv. They demonstrated against the endless blockade, brandishing bags of flour and showing portraits of Palestinian children who have painfully succumbed to starvation. The protesters called for an immediate lifting of the blockade, which they say is causing a growing humanitarian disaster.
Last week, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus condemned the starvation crisis currently unfolding in Gaza as a “man-made disaster.” He called for immediate international action. Even in the face of increasing proof of widespread starvation and acute malnutrition, Israeli government spokespeople claim that international media is inflating the size of the humanitarian disaster. At every opportunity, they blame Hamas for stealing UN aid. Humanitarian organizations like Doctors Without Borders dispute this assertion, pointing to the absence of corroborating evidence.
Before the crisis, aid was delivered through more than 400 distribution points through a UN-led system. Since March, Israel has systematically cut back UN aid to result in a humiliatingly complicated relief operation. Today, GHF operates only four food distribution hubs. These outposts, manned by U.S. mercenaries, have been described as a “death trap” for individuals seeking care.
Lazzarini reiterated the urgency of the situation, stating, “This deepening crisis is affecting everyone, including those trying to save lives in the war-torn enclave… When caretakers cannot find enough to eat, the entire humanitarian system is collapsing.” His comments are a testimony to the growing concern over starvation’s impact on people. Equally impressive is their focus on the communicational challenges for those that offer aid.
In September, French President Emmanuel Macron declared that France would unilaterally recognize Palestine as a state. He issued this proclamation amidst the UN General Assembly. He stated, “True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine.” This announcement follows a growing chorus of support for international recognition of Palestinian statehood, in the context of the open humanitarian crisis.
While the world waits for a potential ceasefire, Steve Witkoff won’t wait. He signaled that discussions on a possible cease-fire negotiation would come only after Hamas’s latest response. “We have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after the latest response from Hamas,” he noted.
The Israeli Hostage Families Forum warned against the consequences of dragging out negotiations. They emphasized that “each day that passes endangers the hostages’ chances of recovery and risks losing the ability to locate the fallen or gain vital intelligence about them.”
One Palestinian official close to the talks described that recent round of talks as “flexible” and “positive.” They highlighted the critical importance of alleviating the deepening anguish in Gaza and ending the starvation.
The situation is deteriorating by the day. Humanitarian organizations are calling on international authorities to act without delay and to guarantee safe, constant access to essential food and medicine for those caught in this rapidly worsening emergency. The world looks on as Congressional negotiators and Administration officials walk a tightrope over a wide ravine of human calamity and political rancor.