Over 100 humanitarian organizations have expressed grave concerns, stating that “mass starvation” is escalating in Gaza as the US top envoy prepares for a diplomatic visit to Europe, aimed at discussing potential ceasefire solutions and establishing an aid corridor.
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Israel is under increasing international scrutiny due to the dire humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory, where over two million individuals are experiencing severe shortages of food and basic necessities. This crisis follows 21 months of conflict that erupted after Hamas’s attack on Israel.
The United Nations reports that Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians seeking food aid since the inception of the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in late May, which has effectively marginalized the existing UN-led aid framework.
A coalition of humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Save the Children, and Oxfam, has released a poignant statement with 111 signatories, warning that “our colleagues and those we serve are wasting away.”
This urgent appeal follows the announcement that US envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Europe this week for discussions about Gaza, with the possibility of continuing on to the Middle East.
According to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, Mr. Witkoff arrives with “a strong hope that we will come forward with another ceasefire as well as a humanitarian corridor for aid to flow, that both sides have in fact agreed to.”
Despite Israel beginning to ease a more than two-month-long aid blockade in late May, Gaza’s population continues to face extreme shortages.
Israel asserts that humanitarian aid is being permitted into Gaza but accuses Hamas of exploiting civilian suffering by, for instance, misappropriating food supplies to sell at inflated prices or resorting to violence against those waiting for assistance.
In their statement, the humanitarian organizations emphasized that warehouses filled with tons of supplies remain untouched just outside Gaza—and in some cases, even within the territory itself—as they are unable to access or distribute these critical goods.
“Palestinians are caught in a cycle of hope and heartbreak, waiting for assistance and ceasefires, only to awaken to deteriorating conditions,” the signatories lamented. “It’s not merely a matter of physical suffering; the psychological toll is immense. Survival feels perpetually just out of reach,” they added.
Furthermore, they urged that “the humanitarian system cannot operate on false promises, and aid workers cannot function under shifting timelines or wait for political commitments that fail to yield access.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the situation in Gaza as one of “horror” under Israeli military actions, reporting that it was unprecedented in recent memory. The head of Gaza’s largest hospital lamented that over 21 children have died due to malnutrition and starvation in just the past three days.
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas have been ongoing in Doha since July 6, with mediators striving to end nearly two years of conflict. However, after weeks of back-and-forth discussions, efforts led by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States are currently at a standstill.
Recent statements from more than two dozen Western countries have called for an immediate ceasefire, highlighting that suffering in Gaza has “reached new depths.” Reports indicate that Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of 59,106 Palestinians in Gaza during the current phase of the conflict, a majority being civilians. The October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas claimed the lives of 1,219 individuals in Israel, most of whom were also civilians.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International–Monitoring.
