The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has deepened despite claims from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “there is no starvation.” He maintains that Israel has consistently allowed aid into Gaza and blames Hamas for diverting supplies. Israel has recently introduced daily 10-hour pauses in fighting and restarted food airdrops to improve delivery. However, former President Donald Trump publicly disagreed with Netanyahu’s assertion, citing disturbing images of malnourished children. Palestinians and aid workers say these Israeli measures have not meaningfully improved conditions, and international critics, including a coalition of 28 countries, have called for a return to the U.N.-led aid distribution system. Israel dismissed that criticism, saying it ignores Hamas’s role in prolonging the conflict.
On the ground, medical data reveals a worsening crisis. The World Health Organization recorded 63 deaths from malnutrition in July, including 24 children under age 5. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported even higher figures, and hospitals now say some children are dying despite having no underlying illnesses. Acute malnutrition among young children has tripled in northern Gaza and doubled in other regions, overwhelming the few treatment centers that remain. Aid trucks entering Gaza are often looted before reaching their destinations, and U.N. officials say Israeli military restrictions have prevented or delayed over half their aid missions in the past three months. Starving crowds and armed gangs continue to swarm incoming convoys, making delivery both dangerous and unreliable.
Israel says the chaos is caused by Hamas militants, who allegedly siphon off supplies and use civilians to shield operations—charges denied by both Hamas and the U.N. Instead, U.N. agencies emphasize the need for unrestricted truck access, noting that airdrops are inadequate for the scale of suffering. Witnesses say Israeli troops have used gunfire to disperse people rushing aid trucks, sometimes resulting in deaths. Despite Israel’s claim that nearly 95,000 trucks have entered Gaza since the war began, the daily rate remains far below what humanitarian groups say is needed. Without a restoration of secure, large-scale aid systems, relief efforts continue to fall short, leaving many Palestinians desperate and hungry.