Children perish due to malnutrition and hunger at Gaza hospital, with a reported death toll of 21 young patients.
In the war-torn Gaza Strip, a humanitarian crisis of unparalleled severity has unfolded. The conflict, which began in October 2023, has resulted in a catastrophic situation with extensive civilian casualties, widespread displacement, and limited access to aid.
Since the war's onset, at least 58,573 Palestinians have been killed and over 139,600 injured according to the Gaza Ministry of Health and OCHA. Approximately 1.9 million people (90% of Gaza’s population) have been displaced, many repeatedly, due to ongoing conflict and displacement orders.
The humanitarian crisis is particularly evident in the area of food security. While exact numbers specifically from malnutrition or starvation are not isolated, 875 people have been confirmed killed since late May 2025 while trying to obtain food, according to the UN human rights office (OHCHR). These deaths largely occurred near private aid hubs run by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation or near official UN aid convoys, indicating extreme desperation for food access.
Aid delivery is severely hindered. From 1 to 15 July 2025, of 150 planned aid movements coordinated with Israeli authorities, only 61 were fully facilitated, 38 were impeded, 34 denied, and 17 withdrawn. No new visas have been issued for UNRWA international staff since January 2025, limiting operational capacity. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation operates private aid hubs that have faced deadly attacks, which exacerbate risks for civilians seeking emergency aid.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that 2 million people in Gaza are facing severe shortages of food and essentials. New cases of malnutrition and starvation are arriving at Gaza's remaining functioning hospitals "every moment". Nearly 88 percent of the entire Gaza Strip is now either under evacuation orders or within Israeli militarized zones, forcing the population of 2.4 million into an ever-shrinking space (OCHA).
Stocks accumulated during the ceasefire have gradually depleted, leaving the territory's inhabitants experiencing the worst shortages since the start of the war in October 2023. Chaotic scenes have become frequent at aid distribution areas since the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation effectively sidelined a vast UN aid delivery network in Gaza.
Amidst this crisis, there are reports of Israeli far-right leaders discussing plans for redeveloping Gaza as a tourist-friendly "riviera" with a permanent Jewish presence. Meanwhile, Israeli troops have entered a World Health Organization (WHO) staff residence in Gaza and forcibly evacuated women and children, handcuffing, stripping, and interrogating male staff at gunpoint (WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus).
In the Deir el-Balah area, 30,000 people are living in displacement sites, and approximately 50,000 to 80,000 people are living in the area, which until now had been considered relatively safe. Tragically, 21 children have died due to malnutrition and starvation in various areas across the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military has stated that they responded to shots fired toward them in the Deir al-Balah area and have expanded ground operations in the region following intense shelling. Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoshani posted a video online showing 950 trucks worth of aid currently waiting in Gaza for international organizations to pick up and distribute.
This analysis is based on reports from UN agencies, the Gaza Ministry of Health, and humanitarian organizations as of July 2025. The scale of killed and injured civilians is extraordinarily high, and aid efforts face severe logistical and security challenges. The situation in Gaza remains a dire humanitarian emergency.
[1] UN OCHA: [https://www.ochaopt.org/content/gaza-humanitarian-crisis-mid-2025-extremely-severe-with-widespread-displacement-very-high] [2] UN OCHA: [https://www.ochaopt.org/content/gaza-humanitarian-situation-update-15-july-2025] [3] Gaza Ministry of Health: [https://www.gazahospital.ps/ar/news/4868] [4] OHCHR: [https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=27479&LangID=E]
- In the Gaza Strip, the ongoing conflict has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, with at least 58,573 Palestinians killed and over 139,600 injured since October 2023.
- Approximately 1.9 million people (90% of Gaza’s population) have been displaced due to the conflict, many repeatedly, since October 2023.
- The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is particularly evident in the area of food security, with 875 people killed since late May 2025 while trying to obtain food, according to the UN human rights office (OHCHR).
- Aid delivery is severely hindered, with only 61 out of 150 planned aid movements facilitated from 1 to 15 July 2025.
- As a result of the conflict, 2 million people in Gaza are facing severe shortages of food and essentials, with new cases of malnutrition and starvation arriving at Gaza's hospitals "every moment."
- Tragically, 21 children have died due to malnutrition and starvation in various areas across the Gaza Strip, amidst reports of Israeli far-right leaders discussing plans for redeveloping Gaza as a tourist-friendly "riviera" with a permanent Jewish presence.
