The humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip continues to intensify as the Israeli assault escalates and ceasefire negotiations stall, with growing warnings of an impending famine. The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that 88 Palestinians were killed and 374 others wounded in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll since 7 October 2023, to 59,821, with 144,851 others injured. 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.
