Gaza on verge of famine as war escalates, ceasefire talks stall
Amid these devastating developments, Hamas leader in Gaza, Khalil Al-Hayya, accused Israel of backtracking on the understandings reached during recent ceasefire negotiations. He condemned the Israeli government for prolonging the 'genocide' in Gaza and stated that the immediate entry of food and humanitarian aid is a prerequisite for any continued talks. 'There is no point in continuing negotiations amid starvation and extermination,' he emphasized.
On the Israeli side, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to shift the blame for the worsening humanitarian situation to the United Nations, asserting that the Israeli military had opened safe corridors for aid delivery. His remarks came as an Israeli security delegation arrived in Cairo to discuss coordination over the Rafah crossing, signaling some technical progress despite the political deadlock.
In Washington, US President Donald Trump acknowledged the dire hunger crisis in Gaza, pledging that the US would help establish unrestricted food distribution centers with the participation of other countries. He also stressed that Israel bears significant responsibility for ensuring aid reaches Gaza and vowed to remove any barriers to food delivery.
The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has warned that all Gaza residents, particularly children, are suffering from hunger. UNICEF reported that since 25 July, at least 83 children had died due to malnutrition, and many others are risking their lives in search of food. The agency urgently called for the immediate entry of sufficient humanitarian aid.
In the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer called an emergency meeting on Gaza, cutting short the government's summer recess. British MPs, across party lines, urged Starmer to take a stronger stance with Israel during his upcoming meeting with President Trump in Scotland. Meanwhile, Italy's Foreign Minister called on Israel to protect Palestinians and cease settler attacks in the West Bank, suggesting that the EU might impose new sanctions on violent settlers.
Internationally, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the use of hunger as a weapon of war, specifically referencing the Gaza and Sudan conflicts. Germany joined calls for an immediate ceasefire, warning of increased pressure on Israel if no progress is made on improving Gaza's humanitarian conditions.
In a significant development, CNN revealed an internal US government review that found no evidence to support Israeli claims that Hamas had diverted or stolen American-funded humanitarian aid in Gaza, contradicting repeated Israeli allegations.
Israeli human rights group B'Tselem has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, citing mass killings, forced displacement, and the systematic destruction of refugee camps. The group condemned the lack of international accountability, claiming that both Europe and the US have enabled these atrocities rather than stopping them.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi urged President Trump to exert maximum pressure on Israel to end the war and allow the entry of humanitarian aid. He reiterated that the situation in Gaza has become unbearable and that Egypt will not accept any attempt to displace Palestinians from their land.
On the ground, Palestinian resistance factions continue to target Israeli forces. The Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for shelling an Israeli troop gathering near Al-Muntar Hill east of Gaza City, using 60mm mortars in coordination with the Ansar Brigades.
In an attempt to bypass Israeli restrictions, Jordanian and Emirati aircraft have airdropped food aid over parts of Gaza. However, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs emphasized that air drops are not a substitute for coordinated ground access.
Despite Israel announcing limited 'tactical pauses' in military operations for humanitarian purposes in specific areas, scenes of destruction and rising casualties continue to dominate Gaza. Dwindling supplies and a collapsing health infrastructure threaten to spark an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily News Egypt
an hour ago
- Daily News Egypt
South Africa Urges Global Recognition of Palestine, Condemns Gaza Genocide
South Africa has called on the international community to formally recognise the State of Palestine and take urgent action to stop what it describes as genocide being carried out by Israel in the Gaza Strip. Speaking on Tuesday, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola said growing outrage among Israel's allies over the situation in Gaza signals that the world is edging closer to halting the ongoing atrocities. 'We urge more countries around the world to recognise the State of Palestine,' Lamola said, adding that such moves would increase pressure on Israel to end its crimes against the Palestinian people. South Africa has been a leading voice in opposing Israel's war on Gaza and in December 2023 filed a landmark case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of committing acts of genocide. The move catalyzed a global response, with countries such as Spain, Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Turkey, Chile, and Libya voicing stronger support for the Palestinian cause. More recently, the leaders of France, the UK, and Canada have indicated plans to formally recognise Palestine in September, calling on others to follow suit. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the war, while 2.4 million people now face imminent famine, as warned by humanitarian agencies. Lamola warned that signs of famine are already visible, stating, 'We warned the world this would happen. If action had been taken earlier, the humanitarian catastrophe could have been avoided.' Diplomatic Strain with Washington Lamola also revealed that diplomatic relations between South Africa and the United States have reached a new low, accusing Washington of interfering in the country's internal affairs. Tensions have risen following South Africa's ICJ case against Israel, as well as controversial remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who claimed that white South Africans face racial discrimination. The Trump administration has imposed 30% tariffs on South African exports, the highest such rate for any Sub-Saharan African country, with the measures expected to take effect on Friday. Despite the tension, Lamola said Pretoria welcomes the presence of President Trump at the upcoming G20 Summit, scheduled to take place in South Africa this November—although Trump had earlier signalled he may skip the event. The latest statements from Pretoria reflect South Africa's continued leadership in global human rights diplomacy and its increasingly assertive role in reshaping the international response to the war in Gaza.
Daily News Egypt
7 hours ago
- Daily News Egypt
Gaza under fire, famine: Death toll climbs amid warnings of ‘never-ending war'
The death toll in Gaza continues to rise amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes and an escalating humanitarian crisis. The Gaza Ministry of Health reported on Wednesday that 138 Palestinians were killed and 771 injured in the past 24 hours, bringing the total since the resumption of fighting to 9,654 dead and 39,401 injured. Since the conflict began on 7 October 2023, 61,158 people have been killed and more than 151,000 wounded, according to the ministry. Among the latest victims were 87 people killed and 570 injured while attempting to collect humanitarian aid, raising the toll in so-called 'bread massacre' incidents to 1,655 dead and over 11,800 injured. The Gaza Government Media Office said 84 aid trucks entered the strip on Tuesday, most of which were looted or seized amid widespread insecurity. It accused Israel of pursuing 'engineered chaos and starvation' to undermine Palestinian social cohesion and resilience. The office stressed that at least 600 trucks a day are needed to meet the basic needs of Gaza's 2.4 million residents, yet only 853 trucks—14% of the required amount—have entered in the past 10 days. The health ministry also reported five more deaths from starvation and malnutrition, bringing the famine-related death toll to 193, nearly half of them children. On the ground, Palestinian factions continued attacks on Israeli forces. Hamas's military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said it struck an Israeli D9 bulldozer with a tandem warhead east of Gaza City. Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades reported joint shelling of Israeli positions near Khan Younis and the destruction of a tank with a barrel bomb in central Khan Younis. Humanitarian aid airdrops have also drawn criticism. Gaza's Ministry of Interior said falling supply boxes have injured or killed civilians due to crowding or direct impacts on tents and homes, citing a recent incident in northern Gaza. It added that the airdropped aid is negligible compared with needs and urged the reopening of land crossings for sustained large-scale deliveries. International warnings are mounting. French Ambassador to Israel Frédéric Journès told Israel's public broadcaster that an Israeli occupation of Gaza would amount to a 'never-ending war,' urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to pursue a political solution and work with Arab partners on a post-war plan. South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola called for 'the broadest possible international pressure' on Israel to stop what he described as acts of genocide. Speaking to Agence France-Presse, Lamola said South Africa had warned in its International Court of Justice submission that Israel's actions would lead to famine and the systematic erasure of Gaza's population. He welcomed recent recognition of a Palestinian state by France, Canada, and others, saying it would increase pressure for a ceasefire. Germany also voiced deep concern over the worsening crisis, calling for a full ceasefire and rejecting any unilateral annexation of the West Bank. Berlin reiterated its support for a two-state solution and the Palestinians' right to statehood.
Al-Ahram Weekly
7 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Only 1.5% of Gaza farmland usable: FAO - War on Gaza
Only 1.5 per cent of Gaza's farmland is accessible and undamaged -- less than a square mile -- according to the latest satellite survey published Wednesday by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, which warned the Palestinian territory was on "the brink of a full-scale famine". In its previous survey, published at the end of May, the FAO had indicated that less than five per cent of Gaza farmland was both accessible and undamaged, based on data from the UN Satellite Centre. The survey, which dates from July 28, found that 8.6 per cent of Gaza's farmland was accessible, but only 1.5 per cent, or 2.3 square kilometres (less than one square mile) was both accessible and usable. An additional 12.4 per cent of farmland is undamaged, but not accessible. An overwhelming majority of Gaza's farmland -- 86.1 per cent -- is damaged, the survey found. "Gaza is now on the brink of a full-scale famine," the FAO's director-general Qu Dongyu said in a statement. "People are starving not because food is unavailable, but because access is blocked, local agrifood systems have collapsed, and families can no longer sustain even the most basic livelihoods," he added. Qu called for safe and sustained humanitarian access to restore local food production and avoid a further loss of life. "The right to food is a basic human right," he said. Before the conflict, agriculture accounted for around 10 per cent of the Gaza Strip's economy. The FAO estimated that more than 560,000 people, or a quarter of the population, were at least partially supported by agriculture and fishing. The Israeli government is under growing pressure to bring the war in Gaza to an end, with concern mounting after the United Nations warned that famine was unfolding in the territory of more than two million Palestinians. The Israeli war on Gaza, which began in October 2023, has killed at least 61,158 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry, which are considered reliable by the United Nations. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
