Gaza’s Hunger Crisis Deepens as Aid Blockade and Bombing Continue

The United Nations has declared Gaza the “hungriest place on Earth” amid a severe humanitarian crisis worsened by Israel’s blockade and ongoing military attacks. Nearly the entire 2.3 million population of Gaza faces catastrophic hunger, according to UN officials.

Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), explained that the minimal aid trucks allowed into Gaza amount to little more than a trickle of desperately needed food.

He described the aid operation as being trapped in an “operational straitjacket,” making it one of the most obstructed humanitarian efforts in recent history, with aid flow severely restricted.

Aid entering Gaza is currently controlled by a new, little-known NGO called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is backed by Israel and the United States, raising concerns among humanitarian groups.

On Friday, hospital sources in Gaza told Al Jazeera that twenty people were shot by Israeli troops while trying to access food at a GHF distribution point, highlighting the dangers Palestinians face.

This distribution site, near Israel’s Netzarim Corridor, is the third such location, with two others set up previously in Rafah, southern Gaza, all heavily guarded and monitored.

Al Jazeera’s reporter Hani Mahmoud described how Israeli military presence near the aid sites is constant, with tanks and armored vehicles visible mere meters away from people queuing for food.

Earlier in the week, ten people were killed attempting to reach food distribution points, with videos showing Palestinians forced into cage-like queues, risking their lives for vital assistance.

There are also disturbing reports of enforced disappearances; families say many who went to the aid sites have since gone missing, intensifying fears of further abuses.

The international humanitarian community has condemned the aid delivery system, accusing it of advancing Israel’s war objectives by forcibly displacing Palestinians under the pretense of aid distribution.

Critics argue that aid could be increased significantly if Israel permitted access to experienced organizations rather than limiting distribution to controlled, militarized zones.

Doctors Without Borders Secretary-General Christopher Lockyer emphasized that vulnerable groups—especially the elderly and disabled—are effectively excluded from receiving aid under the current system.

Famine is officially declared when at least 20% of households face extreme food shortages, with children suffering severe malnutrition and dying daily from starvation-related causes; Gaza now meets these criteria.

Michael Fakhri, UN special rapporteur on the right to food, affirmed there is famine in Gaza and criticized Israel’s use of aid as a means to push civilians into militarized areas.

Since March 2, when Israel imposed a total blockade, Gaza’s humanitarian conditions have worsened dramatically despite limited promises to allow food and medicine into the Strip.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Friday that France could impose sanctions on Israel unless urgent humanitarian relief is permitted, signaling international frustration over the crisis.

Violence continues unabated, with at least 30 Palestinians killed in recent attacks and nearly 200,000 people displaced by Israeli military orders, as hopes for a ceasefire remain fragile.