Israel's daily pauses fall short of easing Gaza suffering, says UK's foreign minister
Lammy said in a statement that Israel's announcement was 'essential but long overdue', and that access to aid must now be urgently accelerated over the coming hours and days.
'This announcement alone cannot alleviate the needs of those desperately suffering in Gaza,' Lammy said. 'We need a ceasefire that can end the war, for hostages to be released and aid to enter Gaza by land unhindered.'
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Arab News
34 minutes ago
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Gaza famine a death sentence delivered by global inaction
Famine in Gaza is no longer a speculative threat, nor is it merely a rhetorical tool to shame the international community into action. It is now a brutal, undeniable fact. The situation has evolved from a humanitarian crisis into a full-blown catastrophe and the numbers speak for themselves. According to the UN, 96 percent of Gaza's population faces acute food insecurity. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification warns that at least 500,000 people are living under 'catastrophic' conditions — one step before mass starvation. These are not projections. They are the present realities. Gaza, already strangled by an 18-year blockade, is now walking barefoot into famine under the shadow of total siege and relentless bombardment. 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In previous conflicts, Gaza's suffering was often buried under the weight of geopolitical calculations and narratives of moral equivalence. This time, the truth has become too grotesque to ignore. The UN has repeatedly stated that Gaza is on the brink of famine. In June, the World Food Programme declared that 100 percent of Gaza's population is 'food insecure' — a statistic unprecedented in modern times. In March, famine was declared in northern Gaza by multiple humanitarian agencies, citing more than 30 children dying of starvation in just two hospitals. The rest of the deaths go undocumented, with bodies buried under rubble or in makeshift graves. To continue treating Gaza's starvation as a 'pressure tactic' used by Palestinian officials or international nongovernmental organizations is to participate in a lie that masks a genocide in progress. What we are witnessing is not a food crisis born of natural disaster or logistical failure. It is manufactured. 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Hani Hazaimeh The Biden administration continued to send military aid to Israel, including bombs and surveillance technologies, despite multiple reports from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and even former UN officials calling for arms embargoes. European leaders offer lukewarm appeals for 'humanitarian pauses' while failing to impose any meaningful consequences. This is no longer about political alliances, strategic partnerships or counterterrorism narratives. Standing with Gaza is no longer a political choice or a symbolic gesture — it is an existential test of our humanity. In the face of children starving to death on live television, neutrality becomes complicity. Silence becomes endorsement. What is more, supporting Gaza today is not a matter of political affiliation or ideological alignment. It is not reserved for Muslims, Arabs or left-leaning activists. It is a universal moral imperative. 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From Tuwaiq to Qasioun: building a bright future with hearts before hands
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Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Trump says Israel will have to decide on next steps in Gaza, pledges more aid
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday Israel would have to make a decision on next steps in Gaza, adding that he did not know what would happen after the collapse of ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations with the Hamas militant group. Trump underscored the importance of securing the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, saying they had suddenly 'hardened' up on the issue, and said the US would provide more aid to the war-torn Palestinian enclave. 'They don't want to give them back, and so Israel is going to have to make a decision,' Trump told reporters at the start of a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at his golf property in Turnberry, Scotland. 'I know what I'd do, but I don't think it's appropriate that I say it. But Israel is going to have to make a decision,' he said, while also claiming, without evidence, that Hamas members were stealing food coming into Gaza and selling it. Dozens of Gazans have died of malnutrition in recent weeks, according to the Gaza health ministry. The ministry reported six new deaths over the past 24 hours due to malnutrition, bringing the total deaths from malnutrition and hunger to 133 including 87 children. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both appeared on Friday to abandon Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, saying it had become clear that the Palestinian group did not want a deal. Netanyahu said Israel was now mulling 'alternative' options to achieve its goals of bringing its hostages home from Gaza and ending Hamas rule in the enclave, where starvation is spreading and most of the population is homeless amid widespread ruin. Trump said he believed Hamas leaders would now be 'hunted down,' telling reporters: 'Hamas really didn't want to make a deal. I think they want to die. And it's very bad. And it got to be to a point where you're going to have to finish the job.' US to provide more aid, Trump says Trump on Sunday said the US would provide more humanitarian aid to Gaza, where concerns are mounting about the worsening hunger, but wanted other countries to participate as well. He said he would discuss the issue with von der Leyen. 'We're giving a lot of money, a lot of food, a lot of everything,' he said. 'If we weren't there, I think people would have starved, frankly. They would have starved, and it's not like they're eating well.' He said he had spoken with Netanyahu and discussed a number of issues, including Iran. He said he and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer would also discuss Israel when they meet at Trump's golf property in Turnberry on Monday. Trump also noted said the United States was not acknowledged for earlier food aid for Gaza. 'No other country gave anything,' he said, calling out European countries in particular. 'It makes you feel a little bad when you do that and, you know, you have other countries not giving anything ... Nobody gave but us. And nobody said, Gee, thank you very much. And it would be nice to have at least a thank you.'
