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Daily News Egypt
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Daily News Egypt
Gaza bleeds under siege: Death toll soars as Israeli-imposed famine devastates children
The death toll from Israel's ongoing assault on the Gaza Strip has now surpassed 60,000, amid mounting warnings of catastrophic famine spreading across the territory. Growing accusations charge that Israel is weaponising starvation as a tool of collective punishment, even as international calls intensify for an immediate ceasefire and the urgent opening of humanitarian corridors. The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported on Thursday that 98 people were killed and 1,079 injured in the past 24 hours alone, including 39 killed and 849 injured while attempting to access humanitarian aid. An additional seven deaths from starvation and malnutrition were recorded, among them one child, bringing the total number of famine-related deaths to 169—including 93 children. In response to the deepening crisis, aircraft from Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, and France airdropped 90 packages of humanitarian aid containing food to the northern and southern parts of Gaza in recent hours. Since the war began on 7 October 2023, a total of 60,430 people have been killed and 148,722 injured. More than 9,200 have died since mid-March 2025 alone, underscoring the sustained intensity of the violence despite growing international pressure for de-escalation. In southern Gaza, Al-Qassam Brigades—the armed wing of Hamas—announced that it shelled Israeli troop gatherings near the Al-Rantisi Mosque in Khan Younis. The group also released a new video showing captured Israeli soldier Avitar David, who said: 'I haven't eaten in days… Netanyahu has abandoned us. Everything we were raised to believe in Israel was a lie. I am digging my own grave.' The military operations unfold against the backdrop of an unprecedented humanitarian disaster. UNICEF has warned that children in Gaza are dying at an 'unprecedented rate' due to famine. 'You see the pictures on the news, but it's much worse on the ground,' said Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, following a recent visit to the region. He called for the immediate entry of at least 500 aid trucks daily. Despite these urgent appeals, only 73 aid trucks managed to enter Gaza last Friday, according to the Government Media Office in Gaza. Many of these trucks were looted amid rising lawlessness, which the office accused Israel of deliberately fomenting as part of a 'policy of engineered chaos and starvation.' The office stressed that Gaza requires no fewer than 600 trucks daily to meet even the basic survival needs of its besieged population, as infrastructure collapses. The Palestinian government issued an urgent plea to the international community to pressure Israel into reopening border crossings immediately. It warned that food insecurity in Gaza has reached 100%, according to specialised UN agencies, and reiterated accusations that Israel is 'weaponising hunger,' demanding swift intervention to end the blockade. Meanwhile, Hamas rejected claims by US envoy Steve Witkoff suggesting the group was prepared to disarm, dismissing his visit to a Gaza aid distribution centre as a 'prearranged theatrical stunt' intended to 'whitewash the occupation' and justify the starvation policy. Hamas reaffirmed that resistance and armed struggle remain a legal and national right as long as the occupation persists. In Washington, The Atlantic reported that US President Donald Trump has grown convinced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the war on Gaza to cling to power—a sentiment increasingly echoed in policy circles. Separately, The Guardian quoted UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who described Israeli gunfire on civilians waiting for aid as 'disgusting,' calling for accountability and an immediate ceasefire.
Shafaq News
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Israeli hostage pleads for help in new Hamas video
2025-08-02T14:50:21+00:00 Shafaq News – Gaza On Saturday, Hamas's armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, released a video of Israeli soldier Avitar David, held in Gaza since October 2023, delivering a plea from captivity. Appearing visibly malnourished, David said he had gone days without food, surviving on lentils and beans. 'Our captors are giving us what they can,' he stated. He went on to accuse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of abandoning the hostages, adding, 'Everything we were raised on in Israel is a lie.' At one point, he described digging his own grave, warning that his weakening condition may soon lead to his death underground. The video is the second in under 24 hours released by the Palestinian resistance showing prisoners held in Gaza. BREAKING: In a televised message, imprisoned Israeli soldier Avitar David, currently held in Gaza by Hamas, states: ⭕ "I have not eaten in days. Our scarce food is lentils and beans. Our captors are giving us what they can."⭕ "Netanyahu has abandoned us, and everything we… — Quds News Network (@QudsNen) August 2, 2025 In response, David's family appealed to the Israeli government, US President Donald Trump, and world powers to do 'everything possible' to secure his release. The hostage appeal comes as conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate under tightened Israeli restrictions. Since March 2, Israel has sealed all border crossings to aid, food, and medical supplies, according to Palestinian and international reports. Gaza's Ministry of Health reported that 162 Palestinians have died from starvation-related causes between October 7, 2023, and August 1, 2025. The World Food Programme also estimates that one in four Gazans faces famine-like conditions, including more than 100,000 women and children suffering from acute malnutrition.
