Breakfast Wrap: What's in the government's childcare safety legislation
The legislation is yet to be released publicly, but the government has flagged how it could target operators who have serious safety breaches. The Breakfast Wrap will hear from the federal minister for early childhood education.
Then, South Australia's toxic algal bloom outbreak continues to deepen and cause division within federal parliament.
Environment Minister Murray Watt has pledged $14 million to assist the state, but has stopped short of declaring it a natural disaster, triggering a call from the Greens to examine what criteria is used to declare these events.
And the UN says more than a thousand people have been killed by Israel's military while attempting to get food since the U-S and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation system began in late May.
It comes as one veteran Israeli journalist claims there's evidence building that Israel has a clear and deliberate plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza.
Recap the morning's news, politics and global affairs with the Breakfast Wrap
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The Advertiser
20 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Doctors can't help as children starve to death in Gaza
Children wasting away from hunger are overwhelming a Gazan emergency centre with doctors unable to help, as basic treatments for malnourishment have run out under Israel's blockade. The deaths of five young children over four days are the first seen by the Patient's Friends hospital in children who had no pre-existing medical conditions. Symptoms are getting worse, with children too weak to cry or move, said Dr. Rana Soboh, a nutritionist. "There are no words in the face of the disaster we are in. Kids are dying before the world ... There is no uglier and more horrible phase than this," said Soboh, who works with the US-based aid organisation Medglobal, which supports the hospital. This month, the hunger that has been building among Gaza's more than 2 million Palestinians passed a tipping point into accelerating death, aid workers and health staff say. Not only children — usually the most vulnerable — are falling victim under Israel's blockade since March, but also adults. In the past three weeks, at least 48 people died of causes related to malnutrition, including 28 adults and 20 children, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Thursday. That's up from 10 children who died in the five previous months of 2025, according to the ministry. The UN reports similar numbers. The World Health Organisation said on Wednesday it has documented 21 children under 5 who died of causes related to malnutrition in 2025. At least 13 children's deaths were reported in July, with the number growing daily. "Humans are well developed to live with caloric deficits, but only so far," said Dr. John Kahler, Medglobal's co-founder and a pediatrician who volunteered twice in Gaza during the war. "It appears that we have crossed the line where a segment of the population has reached their limits" "This is the beginning of a population death spiral," he said. The UN's World Food Program says nearly 100,000 women and children urgently need treatment for malnutrition. Medical workers say they have run out of many key treatments and medicines. Israel, which began letting in only a trickle of supplies the past two months, has blamed Hamas for disrupting food distribution. The UN counters that Israel, which has restricted aid since the war began, simply has to allow it to enter freely. The Patient's Friends Hospital overflows with parents bringing in painfully thin children – 200 to 300 cases a day, said Soboh. Hunger gnaws at staff as well. Soboh said two nurses put themselves on IV drips to keep themselves going. "We are exhausted. We are dead in the shape of the living," she said. In the Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza city, 2-year-old Yazan Abu Ful's mother, Naima, pulled off his clothes to show his emaciated body. His vertebrae, ribs and shoulder-blades jutted out. His face was expressionless. His father Mahmoud, who was also skinny, said they took him to the hospital several times. Doctors just say they should feed him. "I tell the doctors, 'You see for yourself, there is no food,'" he said, On Tuesday, David Mencer, spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister's office, denied there is a "famine created by Israel" in Gaza and blamed Hamas for creating "man-made shortages" by looting aid trucks. The UN denies Hamas siphons off significant quantities of aid. Humanitarian workers say Israel just needs to allow aid to flow in freely, saying looting stops whenever aid enters in large quantities. Children wasting away from hunger are overwhelming a Gazan emergency centre with doctors unable to help, as basic treatments for malnourishment have run out under Israel's blockade. The deaths of five young children over four days are the first seen by the Patient's Friends hospital in children who had no pre-existing medical conditions. Symptoms are getting worse, with children too weak to cry or move, said Dr. Rana Soboh, a nutritionist. "There are no words in the face of the disaster we are in. Kids are dying before the world ... There is no uglier and more horrible phase than this," said Soboh, who works with the US-based aid organisation Medglobal, which supports the hospital. This month, the hunger that has been building among Gaza's more than 2 million Palestinians passed a tipping point into accelerating death, aid workers and health staff say. Not only children — usually the most vulnerable — are falling victim under Israel's blockade since March, but also adults. In the past three weeks, at least 48 people died of causes related to malnutrition, including 28 adults and 20 children, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Thursday. That's up from 10 children who died in the five previous months of 2025, according to the ministry. The UN reports similar numbers. The World Health Organisation said on Wednesday it has documented 21 children under 5 who died of causes related to malnutrition in 2025. At least 13 children's deaths were reported in July, with the number growing daily. "Humans are well developed to live with caloric deficits, but only so far," said Dr. John Kahler, Medglobal's co-founder and a pediatrician who volunteered twice in Gaza during the war. "It appears that we have crossed the line where a segment of the population has reached their limits" "This is the beginning of a population death spiral," he said. The UN's World Food Program says nearly 100,000 women and children urgently need treatment for malnutrition. Medical workers say they have run out of many key treatments and medicines. Israel, which began letting in only a trickle of supplies the past two months, has blamed Hamas for disrupting food distribution. The UN counters that Israel, which has restricted aid since the war began, simply has to allow it to enter freely. The Patient's Friends Hospital overflows with parents bringing in painfully thin children – 200 to 300 cases a day, said Soboh. Hunger gnaws at staff as well. Soboh said two nurses put themselves on IV drips to keep themselves going. "We are exhausted. We are dead in the shape of the living," she said. In the Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza city, 2-year-old Yazan Abu Ful's mother, Naima, pulled off his clothes to show his emaciated body. His vertebrae, ribs and shoulder-blades jutted out. His face was expressionless. His father Mahmoud, who was also skinny, said they took him to the hospital several times. Doctors just say they should feed him. "I tell the doctors, 'You see for yourself, there is no food,'" he said, On Tuesday, David Mencer, spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister's office, denied there is a "famine created by Israel" in Gaza and blamed Hamas for creating "man-made shortages" by looting aid trucks. The UN denies Hamas siphons off significant quantities of aid. Humanitarian workers say Israel just needs to allow aid to flow in freely, saying looting stops whenever aid enters in large quantities. Children wasting away from hunger are overwhelming a Gazan emergency centre with doctors unable to help, as basic treatments for malnourishment have run out under Israel's blockade. The deaths of five young children over four days are the first seen by the Patient's Friends hospital in children who had no pre-existing medical conditions. Symptoms are getting worse, with children too weak to cry or move, said Dr. Rana Soboh, a nutritionist. "There are no words in the face of the disaster we are in. Kids are dying before the world ... There is no uglier and more horrible phase than this," said Soboh, who works with the US-based aid organisation Medglobal, which supports the hospital. This month, the hunger that has been building among Gaza's more than 2 million Palestinians passed a tipping point into accelerating death, aid workers and health staff say. Not only children — usually the most vulnerable — are falling victim under Israel's blockade since March, but also adults. In the past three weeks, at least 48 people died of causes related to malnutrition, including 28 adults and 20 children, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Thursday. That's up from 10 children who died in the five previous months of 2025, according to the ministry. The UN reports similar numbers. The World Health Organisation said on Wednesday it has documented 21 children under 5 who died of causes related to malnutrition in 2025. At least 13 children's deaths were reported in July, with the number growing daily. "Humans are well developed to live with caloric deficits, but only so far," said Dr. John Kahler, Medglobal's co-founder and a pediatrician who volunteered twice in Gaza during the war. "It appears that we have crossed the line where a segment of the population has reached their limits" "This is the beginning of a population death spiral," he said. The UN's World Food Program says nearly 100,000 women and children urgently need treatment for malnutrition. Medical workers say they have run out of many key treatments and medicines. Israel, which began letting in only a trickle of supplies the past two months, has blamed Hamas for disrupting food distribution. The UN counters that Israel, which has restricted aid since the war began, simply has to allow it to enter freely. The Patient's Friends Hospital overflows with parents bringing in painfully thin children – 200 to 300 cases a day, said Soboh. Hunger gnaws at staff as well. Soboh said two nurses put themselves on IV drips to keep themselves going. "We are exhausted. We are dead in the shape of the living," she said. In the Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza city, 2-year-old Yazan Abu Ful's mother, Naima, pulled off his clothes to show his emaciated body. His vertebrae, ribs and shoulder-blades jutted out. His face was expressionless. His father Mahmoud, who was also skinny, said they took him to the hospital several times. Doctors just say they should feed him. "I tell the doctors, 'You see for yourself, there is no food,'" he said, On Tuesday, David Mencer, spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister's office, denied there is a "famine created by Israel" in Gaza and blamed Hamas for creating "man-made shortages" by looting aid trucks. The UN denies Hamas siphons off significant quantities of aid. Humanitarian workers say Israel just needs to allow aid to flow in freely, saying looting stops whenever aid enters in large quantities. Children wasting away from hunger are overwhelming a Gazan emergency centre with doctors unable to help, as basic treatments for malnourishment have run out under Israel's blockade. The deaths of five young children over four days are the first seen by the Patient's Friends hospital in children who had no pre-existing medical conditions. Symptoms are getting worse, with children too weak to cry or move, said Dr. Rana Soboh, a nutritionist. "There are no words in the face of the disaster we are in. Kids are dying before the world ... There is no uglier and more horrible phase than this," said Soboh, who works with the US-based aid organisation Medglobal, which supports the hospital. This month, the hunger that has been building among Gaza's more than 2 million Palestinians passed a tipping point into accelerating death, aid workers and health staff say. Not only children — usually the most vulnerable — are falling victim under Israel's blockade since March, but also adults. In the past three weeks, at least 48 people died of causes related to malnutrition, including 28 adults and 20 children, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Thursday. That's up from 10 children who died in the five previous months of 2025, according to the ministry. The UN reports similar numbers. The World Health Organisation said on Wednesday it has documented 21 children under 5 who died of causes related to malnutrition in 2025. At least 13 children's deaths were reported in July, with the number growing daily. "Humans are well developed to live with caloric deficits, but only so far," said Dr. John Kahler, Medglobal's co-founder and a pediatrician who volunteered twice in Gaza during the war. "It appears that we have crossed the line where a segment of the population has reached their limits" "This is the beginning of a population death spiral," he said. The UN's World Food Program says nearly 100,000 women and children urgently need treatment for malnutrition. Medical workers say they have run out of many key treatments and medicines. Israel, which began letting in only a trickle of supplies the past two months, has blamed Hamas for disrupting food distribution. The UN counters that Israel, which has restricted aid since the war began, simply has to allow it to enter freely. The Patient's Friends Hospital overflows with parents bringing in painfully thin children – 200 to 300 cases a day, said Soboh. Hunger gnaws at staff as well. Soboh said two nurses put themselves on IV drips to keep themselves going. "We are exhausted. We are dead in the shape of the living," she said. In the Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza city, 2-year-old Yazan Abu Ful's mother, Naima, pulled off his clothes to show his emaciated body. His vertebrae, ribs and shoulder-blades jutted out. His face was expressionless. His father Mahmoud, who was also skinny, said they took him to the hospital several times. Doctors just say they should feed him. "I tell the doctors, 'You see for yourself, there is no food,'" he said, On Tuesday, David Mencer, spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister's office, denied there is a "famine created by Israel" in Gaza and blamed Hamas for creating "man-made shortages" by looting aid trucks. The UN denies Hamas siphons off significant quantities of aid. Humanitarian workers say Israel just needs to allow aid to flow in freely, saying looting stops whenever aid enters in large quantities.
The Advertiser
23 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
UK to back 50-year AUKUS treaty as US shadow looms
The United Kingdom has underscored its commitment to AUKUS after revealing it will sign a new 50-year treaty with Australia, amid questions over US involvement in the trilateral security pact. The treaty will be inked when Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles host their UK counterparts David Lammy and John Healey in Sydney on Friday for regular Australia-UK ministerial meetings, according to British news agency PA. "This historic treaty confirms our AUKUS commitment for the next half century," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said. While the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership involves the US, UK and Australia, the treaty is between the latter two nations, as a Pentagon review into the agreement threatens America's future participation. Australia and the UK are expected to lay out the bilateral aspects of the agreement and explore ways the two countries can work together over the next half-century. In a joint statement, Mr Marles and Senator Wong said the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations, or AUKMIN, were critical to the two nations' shared interests. "We take the world as it is - but together, we are working to shape it for the better," Senator Wong said. Under the $368 billion AUKUS program, Australia will buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s. A new class of nuclear submarines will be built in Adelaide and delivered in the 2040s. The US had promised to sell Australia nuclear-powered attack submarines under the AUKUS agreement, but President Donald Trump's administration has launched a review into the deal to examine whether it aligns with his "America first" agenda. Defence analysts believe a likely outcome of the US review will be a request for more money from Australia to support its submarine industrial base. The Australian government has said it remains confident in the nuclear-submarine deal being delivered. The UK has fast become one of Australia's most important defence allies amid turmoil under the Trump administration, a security analyst says. Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Alex Bristow said holding ministerial meetings on a six-monthly cycle, rather than the traditional annual timeline, highlights strengthened ties between the two nations. "The tempo of it increasing, I think, is a signal that Britain is moving into an elite category," he told AAP. The UK was probably third behind Japan and the US in terms of how strategically significant the defence relationship was to Australia, Dr Bristow said. Meanwhile, the UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in Darwin on Wednesday in the midst of the Talisman Sabre multi-nation military exercises being hosted by Australia. It's the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997. The international task group includes five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters, centred on the flagship aircraft carrier. On Sunday, Mr Marles and Senator Wong will join their counterparts in Darwin to observe the UK Carrier Strike Group in action at Talisman Sabre. UK High Commissioner to Australia Sarah MacIntosh said the arrival of the strike group was a demonstration of commitment to the region and the strong relationship with Canberra. "This is an anchor relationship in a contested world," she said. Dr Bristow said Australia should be welcoming carrier strike groups from European countries. He said NATO had identified China as a threat to its interests as Beijing continues to collaborate with Russia and North Korea. "It's entirely in the interests of European allies in NATO to be working with Indo-Pacific allies," Dr Bristow said. with PA The United Kingdom has underscored its commitment to AUKUS after revealing it will sign a new 50-year treaty with Australia, amid questions over US involvement in the trilateral security pact. The treaty will be inked when Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles host their UK counterparts David Lammy and John Healey in Sydney on Friday for regular Australia-UK ministerial meetings, according to British news agency PA. "This historic treaty confirms our AUKUS commitment for the next half century," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said. While the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership involves the US, UK and Australia, the treaty is between the latter two nations, as a Pentagon review into the agreement threatens America's future participation. Australia and the UK are expected to lay out the bilateral aspects of the agreement and explore ways the two countries can work together over the next half-century. In a joint statement, Mr Marles and Senator Wong said the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations, or AUKMIN, were critical to the two nations' shared interests. "We take the world as it is - but together, we are working to shape it for the better," Senator Wong said. Under the $368 billion AUKUS program, Australia will buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s. A new class of nuclear submarines will be built in Adelaide and delivered in the 2040s. The US had promised to sell Australia nuclear-powered attack submarines under the AUKUS agreement, but President Donald Trump's administration has launched a review into the deal to examine whether it aligns with his "America first" agenda. Defence analysts believe a likely outcome of the US review will be a request for more money from Australia to support its submarine industrial base. The Australian government has said it remains confident in the nuclear-submarine deal being delivered. The UK has fast become one of Australia's most important defence allies amid turmoil under the Trump administration, a security analyst says. Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Alex Bristow said holding ministerial meetings on a six-monthly cycle, rather than the traditional annual timeline, highlights strengthened ties between the two nations. "The tempo of it increasing, I think, is a signal that Britain is moving into an elite category," he told AAP. The UK was probably third behind Japan and the US in terms of how strategically significant the defence relationship was to Australia, Dr Bristow said. Meanwhile, the UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in Darwin on Wednesday in the midst of the Talisman Sabre multi-nation military exercises being hosted by Australia. It's the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997. The international task group includes five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters, centred on the flagship aircraft carrier. On Sunday, Mr Marles and Senator Wong will join their counterparts in Darwin to observe the UK Carrier Strike Group in action at Talisman Sabre. UK High Commissioner to Australia Sarah MacIntosh said the arrival of the strike group was a demonstration of commitment to the region and the strong relationship with Canberra. "This is an anchor relationship in a contested world," she said. Dr Bristow said Australia should be welcoming carrier strike groups from European countries. He said NATO had identified China as a threat to its interests as Beijing continues to collaborate with Russia and North Korea. "It's entirely in the interests of European allies in NATO to be working with Indo-Pacific allies," Dr Bristow said. with PA The United Kingdom has underscored its commitment to AUKUS after revealing it will sign a new 50-year treaty with Australia, amid questions over US involvement in the trilateral security pact. The treaty will be inked when Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles host their UK counterparts David Lammy and John Healey in Sydney on Friday for regular Australia-UK ministerial meetings, according to British news agency PA. "This historic treaty confirms our AUKUS commitment for the next half century," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said. While the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership involves the US, UK and Australia, the treaty is between the latter two nations, as a Pentagon review into the agreement threatens America's future participation. Australia and the UK are expected to lay out the bilateral aspects of the agreement and explore ways the two countries can work together over the next half-century. In a joint statement, Mr Marles and Senator Wong said the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations, or AUKMIN, were critical to the two nations' shared interests. "We take the world as it is - but together, we are working to shape it for the better," Senator Wong said. Under the $368 billion AUKUS program, Australia will buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s. A new class of nuclear submarines will be built in Adelaide and delivered in the 2040s. The US had promised to sell Australia nuclear-powered attack submarines under the AUKUS agreement, but President Donald Trump's administration has launched a review into the deal to examine whether it aligns with his "America first" agenda. Defence analysts believe a likely outcome of the US review will be a request for more money from Australia to support its submarine industrial base. The Australian government has said it remains confident in the nuclear-submarine deal being delivered. The UK has fast become one of Australia's most important defence allies amid turmoil under the Trump administration, a security analyst says. Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Alex Bristow said holding ministerial meetings on a six-monthly cycle, rather than the traditional annual timeline, highlights strengthened ties between the two nations. "The tempo of it increasing, I think, is a signal that Britain is moving into an elite category," he told AAP. The UK was probably third behind Japan and the US in terms of how strategically significant the defence relationship was to Australia, Dr Bristow said. Meanwhile, the UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in Darwin on Wednesday in the midst of the Talisman Sabre multi-nation military exercises being hosted by Australia. It's the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997. The international task group includes five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters, centred on the flagship aircraft carrier. On Sunday, Mr Marles and Senator Wong will join their counterparts in Darwin to observe the UK Carrier Strike Group in action at Talisman Sabre. UK High Commissioner to Australia Sarah MacIntosh said the arrival of the strike group was a demonstration of commitment to the region and the strong relationship with Canberra. "This is an anchor relationship in a contested world," she said. Dr Bristow said Australia should be welcoming carrier strike groups from European countries. He said NATO had identified China as a threat to its interests as Beijing continues to collaborate with Russia and North Korea. "It's entirely in the interests of European allies in NATO to be working with Indo-Pacific allies," Dr Bristow said. with PA The United Kingdom has underscored its commitment to AUKUS after revealing it will sign a new 50-year treaty with Australia, amid questions over US involvement in the trilateral security pact. The treaty will be inked when Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles host their UK counterparts David Lammy and John Healey in Sydney on Friday for regular Australia-UK ministerial meetings, according to British news agency PA. "This historic treaty confirms our AUKUS commitment for the next half century," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said. While the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership involves the US, UK and Australia, the treaty is between the latter two nations, as a Pentagon review into the agreement threatens America's future participation. Australia and the UK are expected to lay out the bilateral aspects of the agreement and explore ways the two countries can work together over the next half-century. In a joint statement, Mr Marles and Senator Wong said the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations, or AUKMIN, were critical to the two nations' shared interests. "We take the world as it is - but together, we are working to shape it for the better," Senator Wong said. Under the $368 billion AUKUS program, Australia will buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s. A new class of nuclear submarines will be built in Adelaide and delivered in the 2040s. The US had promised to sell Australia nuclear-powered attack submarines under the AUKUS agreement, but President Donald Trump's administration has launched a review into the deal to examine whether it aligns with his "America first" agenda. Defence analysts believe a likely outcome of the US review will be a request for more money from Australia to support its submarine industrial base. The Australian government has said it remains confident in the nuclear-submarine deal being delivered. The UK has fast become one of Australia's most important defence allies amid turmoil under the Trump administration, a security analyst says. Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Alex Bristow said holding ministerial meetings on a six-monthly cycle, rather than the traditional annual timeline, highlights strengthened ties between the two nations. "The tempo of it increasing, I think, is a signal that Britain is moving into an elite category," he told AAP. The UK was probably third behind Japan and the US in terms of how strategically significant the defence relationship was to Australia, Dr Bristow said. Meanwhile, the UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in Darwin on Wednesday in the midst of the Talisman Sabre multi-nation military exercises being hosted by Australia. It's the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997. The international task group includes five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters, centred on the flagship aircraft carrier. On Sunday, Mr Marles and Senator Wong will join their counterparts in Darwin to observe the UK Carrier Strike Group in action at Talisman Sabre. UK High Commissioner to Australia Sarah MacIntosh said the arrival of the strike group was a demonstration of commitment to the region and the strong relationship with Canberra. "This is an anchor relationship in a contested world," she said. Dr Bristow said Australia should be welcoming carrier strike groups from European countries. He said NATO had identified China as a threat to its interests as Beijing continues to collaborate with Russia and North Korea. "It's entirely in the interests of European allies in NATO to be working with Indo-Pacific allies," Dr Bristow said. with PA
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Doctors can't help as children starve to death in Gaza
Children wasting away from hunger are overwhelming a Gazan emergency centre with doctors unable to help, as basic treatments for malnourishment have run out under Israel's blockade. The deaths of five young children over four days are the first seen by the Patient's Friends hospital in children who had no pre-existing medical conditions. Symptoms are getting worse, with children too weak to cry or move, said Dr. Rana Soboh, a nutritionist. "There are no words in the face of the disaster we are in. Kids are dying before the world ... There is no uglier and more horrible phase than this," said Soboh, who works with the US-based aid organisation Medglobal, which supports the hospital. This month, the hunger that has been building among Gaza's more than 2 million Palestinians passed a tipping point into accelerating death, aid workers and health staff say. Not only children — usually the most vulnerable — are falling victim under Israel's blockade since March, but also adults. In the past three weeks, at least 48 people died of causes related to malnutrition, including 28 adults and 20 children, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Thursday. That's up from 10 children who died in the five previous months of 2025, according to the ministry. The UN reports similar numbers. The World Health Organisation said on Wednesday it has documented 21 children under 5 who died of causes related to malnutrition in 2025. At least 13 children's deaths were reported in July, with the number growing daily. "Humans are well developed to live with caloric deficits, but only so far," said Dr. John Kahler, Medglobal's co-founder and a pediatrician who volunteered twice in Gaza during the war. "It appears that we have crossed the line where a segment of the population has reached their limits" "This is the beginning of a population death spiral," he said. The UN's World Food Program says nearly 100,000 women and children urgently need treatment for malnutrition. Medical workers say they have run out of many key treatments and medicines. Israel, which began letting in only a trickle of supplies the past two months, has blamed Hamas for disrupting food distribution. The UN counters that Israel, which has restricted aid since the war began, simply has to allow it to enter freely. The Patient's Friends Hospital overflows with parents bringing in painfully thin children – 200 to 300 cases a day, said Soboh. Hunger gnaws at staff as well. Soboh said two nurses put themselves on IV drips to keep themselves going. "We are exhausted. We are dead in the shape of the living," she said. In the Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza city, 2-year-old Yazan Abu Ful's mother, Naima, pulled off his clothes to show his emaciated body. His vertebrae, ribs and shoulder-blades jutted out. His face was expressionless. His father Mahmoud, who was also skinny, said they took him to the hospital several times. Doctors just say they should feed him. "I tell the doctors, 'You see for yourself, there is no food,'" he said, On Tuesday, David Mencer, spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister's office, denied there is a "famine created by Israel" in Gaza and blamed Hamas for creating "man-made shortages" by looting aid trucks. The UN denies Hamas siphons off significant quantities of aid. Humanitarian workers say Israel just needs to allow aid to flow in freely, saying looting stops whenever aid enters in large quantities.
