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Deir al-Balah, Gaza – July 25, 2025
The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza reported today that 15 more people—including four children—have died from famine and malnutrition in the past 24 hours, as Israel’s blockade and ongoing military offensive continue to push the enclave toward a devastating humanitarian collapse. These latest deaths raise the total number of Palestinians who have died from hunger-related causes since the war began in October 2023 to at least 115, with children making up a significant portion of the casualties.
Starvation Crisis Deepens
The United Nations and aid agencies have repeatedly warned of what they call an "engineered famine" in Gaza, where Israel has imposed severe restrictions on food, water, and medical supplies. Hospitals are overwhelmed with emaciated children, many suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM)—the deadliest form of hunger. Medical staff, themselves weak from exhaustion and hunger, are reportedly collapsing while treating patients.
- According to UNICEF, over 5,000 children were treated for acute malnutrition in May alone, marking a 150% increase since February, when a brief ceasefire temporarily allowed aid to enter.
- Food prices have soared, with basic staples like flour and baby formula either unavailable or unaffordable. Many parents are skipping meals to feed their children, and some infants are surviving on diluted rice water due to the lack of baby formula.
- Aid trucks remain stalled just outside Gaza’s borders, blocked by Israeli restrictions, even though humanitarian workers report that UN warehouses inside Gaza contain enough food for three months—if only distribution were permitted.
Israeli Offensive Targets Deir al-Balah
Simultaneously, Israeli forces have launched a major ground and air assault on Deir al-Balah, a central Gaza city that had previously functioned as a key hub for humanitarian operations and was relatively spared from large-scale destruction. The assault has triggered a fresh wave of mass displacement, with tens of thousands fleeing under new evacuation orders.
- Critical infrastructure—including aid warehouses, clinics, and water desalination plants—is now under direct threat. The UN warns that damage to these facilities will have “life-threatening consequences” for Gaza’s already starving population.
- Eyewitnesses report relentless shelling and advancing tanks, with displaced families fleeing with nothing but the clothes on their backs. One woman told the BBC: “People are losing their minds and collapsing from hunger.”
- Hospitals in Deir al-Balah, already crippled by shortages, say they can no longer provide milk or nutritional support for starving children.
International Condemnation and Ceasefire Hopes
The United Kingdom and 24 other nations have condemned Israel’s blockade and the reported killings of hundreds of Palestinians at aid distribution sites, calling the humanitarian situation “horrifying.” The United States and other mediators are currently pushing for a 60-day ceasefire agreement, though significant gaps remain between the parties.
- Hamas has submitted a response to the latest ceasefire proposal, which a Palestinian official described as “flexible and positive.” However, Israel has recalled its negotiators for internal consultations, raising concerns of further delay.
- Protests have erupted globally, including in Israel, where demonstrators carried bags of flour and photos of starving Palestinian children, calling for an end to the blockade.
A "Man-Made" Disaster
The World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled the starvation crisis in Gaza a “man-made catastrophe,” directly accusing Israel of deliberately obstructing humanitarian aid. With 87.8% of Gaza now designated as evacuation zones or active conflict areas, the UN warns that the region’s entire humanitarian system is on the verge of collapse.
As the assault on Deir al-Balah intensifies and famine continues to claim lives daily, pressure is mounting on the international community to immediately lift the blockade and secure a lasting ceasefire—before Gaza’s humanitarian crisis reaches an irreversible tipping point.
Sources: Al Jazeera, The Guardian, BBC, CNN, UNICEF, Washington Post.
(For further information, refer to the cited sources.)