‘Hunger is merciless': Chaos at food drop sites as Gaza famine fears grow
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'.
'Humanitarian aid now'
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.
'It felt like war'
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
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