Gaza receives food airdrops as Israel opens aid routes amid crisis
The move comes amid worsening hunger in the Palestinian territory, where 21 months of war and a prolonged blockade have left thousands starving.
The World Health Organisation reported alarming malnutrition levels, with 74 deaths linked to hunger in 2025, including 24 children under five.
'Most victims showed severe wasting, a clear sign of starvation,' the UN agency stated. The World Food Programme estimates a third of Gaza's population has gone days without food, with 470,000 facing famine-like conditions.
Israel denied accusations of using starvation as a weapon, claiming coordination with aid agencies to increase supplies.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the UN for spreading 'lies' about aid blockages, insisting secure routes exist. However, aid groups argue current measures fall short.
'A few trucks or airdrops won't end starvation,' said Oxfam's Bushra Khalidi. 'We need full access and a ceasefire.'
Witnesses described chaotic scenes during aid distributions. Samih Humeid, a Gaza resident, recounted desperate crowds scrambling for food. 'It felt like war. I only got three cans of beans,' he said.
Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged immediate action, while the UN welcomed Israel's tactical pauses but stressed the need for sustained access.
The conflict, triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack, has claimed 59,733 Palestinian lives, per Gaza's health ministry. - AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
17 minutes ago
- The Sun
Israeli rights groups label Gaza campaign as genocide in stark reports
JERUSALEM: Two prominent Israeli human rights organisations, B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel, have declared the ongoing military campaign in Gaza a 'genocide' against Palestinians. This marks the first time Israeli NGOs have used such strong language to describe the conflict. B'Tselem executive director Yuli Novak stated, 'Nothing prepares you for the realisation that you are part of a society committing genocide. This is a deeply painful moment for us.' She emphasised the duty of Israelis and Palestinians to confront the harsh realities of the war. The conflict, now in its 21st month, began after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel in October 2023. Since then, Gaza has suffered widespread devastation, with over 59,821 fatalities reported by the Hamas-run health ministry. The UN warns of worsening famine and malnutrition among displaced civilians. The International Court of Justice previously acknowledged the plausibility of genocide allegations in a 2024 interim ruling. However, Israel, supported by the US, denies these claims, asserting its actions target Hamas and aim to rescue hostages. B'Tselem's report highlights statements from Israeli officials suggesting a coordinated effort to dismantle Palestinian society in Gaza. Meanwhile, Physicians for Human Rights Israel documents the deliberate collapse of Gaza's healthcare system. – AFP
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Gaza civil defence reports 16 killed in Israeli strikes
GAZA CITY: Gaza's civil defence agency reported 16 fatalities from Israeli fire on Monday, as the war-torn Palestinian territory enters its 21st month of conflict. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal confirmed the deaths, including five in an overnight strike on a residential building in Al-Mawasi. The Palestinian Red Crescent stated a pregnant woman was among the victims, with medical teams performing an emergency Caesarean section in a field hospital to save the foetus. Al-Mawasi, initially declared a humanitarian zone, continues to face air strikes while sheltering displaced Gazans. Bassal added five more were killed in Khan Yunis' Japanese neighbourhood, with Israel's military stating it is reviewing the incidents. Six others died in separate strikes across Gaza City and central Gaza. Al-Awda hospital in Nuseirat reported one fatality and nine injuries when Israeli forces fired on Palestinians awaiting aid. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry noted five malnutrition-related deaths in 24 hours, raising the war's total malnutrition toll to 147. A full blockade imposed in March worsened shortages, with aid only resuming in late May. Depleted stocks have left Gaza facing its most severe crisis since the war began in October 2023. – AFP
New Straits Times
10 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Food airdropped into Gaza as Israel opens aid routes
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Jordanian and Emirati planes dropped food into Gaza on Sunday, as Israel began a limited "tactical pause" in some military operations to allow the UN and aid agencies to tackle a deepening hunger crisis. The Palestinian territory is gripped by dire humanitarian conditions created by 21 months of war and made worse by Israel's total blockade of aid from March to May. Since the easing of the blockade, the levels of aid reaching Gaza have been far below what aid groups say is needed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted his government was not to blame for the dire situation and lashed out at the UN. The Israeli military dismissed allegations that it had been using starvation as a weapon, saying it had coordinated with the UN and international agencies to "increase the scale of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip". The World Health Organisation warned on Sunday that malnutrition was reaching "alarming levels" in Gaza. It said that of the 74 recorded malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, 63 had occurred in July -- including 24 children aged under five, one child older than five, and 38 adults. "Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting," the UN health agency said. "The crisis remains entirely preventable. Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health and humanitarian aid has cost many lives." The UN's World Food Programme said a third of the population of Gaza had not eaten for days, and 470,000 were "enduring famine-like conditions". UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher welcomed Israel's tactical pauses, saying his teams "will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window". The Israeli decision came as international pressure mounted on Netanyahu to prevent mass starvation in the territory. Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz joined the chorus of concern on Sunday, urging the Israeli premier "to provide the starving civilian population in Gaza with urgently needed humanitarian aid now". Accusing the UN of fabricating "pretexts and lies about Israel" blocking aid, Netanyahu said in remarks at an airbase that "there are secure routes" for aid. "There have always been, but today it's official. There will be no more excuses," he added. The situation inside the territory deteriorated sharply after Israel imposed its total blockade on aid in March. It later eased the blockade, but sidelined the UN and major aid agencies and instead relied on a newly created, US-backed private foundation. Aid groups refused to work with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, accusing it of furthering Israel's military goals, while hundreds of people have been killed attempting to reach its sites. The Jordanian military said its planes, working with the United Arab Emirates, had delivered 25 tonnes of aid in three parachute drops over Gaza on Sunday. The Israeli military also said it had conducted a drop, parachuting seven pallets of aid into the territory. Truckloads of flour were also seen arriving in northern Gaza through the Zikim area crossing from Israel, according to AFP journalists. AFP correspondents also saw trucks crossing from Egypt, heading for Israeli inspection before entering Gaza. The charity Oxfam's regional policy chief Bushra Khalidi called Israel's latest moves a "welcome first step" but warned they were insufficient. "Starvation won't be solved by a few trucks or airdrops," she said. "What's needed is a real humanitarian response: ceasefire, full access, all crossings open and a steady, large-scale flow of aid into Gaza. "We need a permanent ceasefire, a complete lifting of the siege." In general, humanitarian officials are deeply sceptical that airdrops can deliver enough food safely to tackle the hunger crisis facing Gaza's more than two million inhabitants. In Gaza City's Tel el-Hawa district, 30-year-old Suad Ishtaywi said her "life's wish" was simply to feed her children. She spoke of her husband returning empty-handed from each day from aid points. There were chaotic scenes at the site where Israel conducted its first food drop, witnesses told AFP. Samih Humeid, a 23-year-old from the Al-Karama neighbourhood of Gaza City, said dozens of people had gathered to rush towards the parachuted supplies. "It felt like a war, everyone trying to grab whatever they could. Hunger is merciless. The quantities were extremely limited, not enough even for a few people, because hunger is everywhere. I only managed to get three cans of fava beans," he said. The Israeli army's daily pause from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm will be limited to areas where its troops are not currently operating -- Al-Mawasi in the south, Deir el-Balah in the centre and Gaza City in the north. Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, citing "reasonable grounds" to suspect war crimes including starvation -- charges Israel vehemently denies. On Sunday, according to the Gaza civil defence agency, Israeli army fire killed 27 Palestinians, 12 of them near aid distribution areas. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and other parties. Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The Israeli campaign has killed 59,733 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. - AFP
