The humanitarian situation in Gaza has rapidly deteriorated into a catastrophic state as Israel advances its plan to seize Gaza City, the largest and most densely populated city in the Gaza Strip, home to nearly 900,000 residents. This strategy, approved by Israel’s security cabinet, forms part of Israel’s broader goal of exerting control over approximately 85 percent of the Gaza Strip. However, along with this military campaign, the population faces an escalating hunger crisis that is pushing thousands towards starvation. The United Nations and numerous humanitarian organizations have issued stark warnings that Gaza is witnessing conditions resembling famine, with an alarming rise in starvation and malnutrition-related deaths.
Worsening Food Insecurity and Malnutrition Among Gaza’s Population
Recent assessments paint a grim picture: close to half a million people in Gaza are enduring acute food insecurity, effectively living in famine-like circumstances. Among the most vulnerable are children under the age of five, with nearly 12,000 identified as suffering from acute malnutrition in July 2025 alone—marking the highest single month on record. Since the resurgence of conflict in October 2023, malnutrition-related deaths have sharply increased.
Official reports from the Gaza Health Ministry indicate that 147 deaths are attributable to malnutrition so far, including 88 children. The World Health Organization corroborates these figures, noting 63 deaths linked to malnutrition in July 2025 alone, with 24 of these among young children showing severe wasting. Food consumption patterns reveal that almost four out of ten people in Gaza go for several days without eating any food. Critical to this worsening situation are the blockades and stringent restrictions imposed by Israel on the flow of humanitarian aid, including essential foodstuffs, medical supplies, and fuel, which have severely exacerbated the crisis.
Israel’s Military Plans and Their Humanitarian Consequences
Israel’s military plan to seize Gaza City has met intense criticism from Palestinian authorities and global observers who warn of catastrophic consequences for civilians. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government has reiterated the intention to take control of Gaza City and install alternative governance mechanisms separate from both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority has condemned this move as a "full-fledged crime" amounting to genocide, warning that it would confine over two million Palestinians into less than ten percent of Gaza’s already cramped territory, forcing mass displacement and dismantling key Palestinian institutions.
Humanitarian experts emphasize that this escalation risks unleashing a humanitarian catastrophe, intensified by the depletion of safe zones for civilians and the destruction of housing and infrastructure in southern Gaza — areas from which civilians have been urged to flee.
Reactions From International Stakeholders and Humanitarian Organizations
Voices from multiple stakeholders have sounded urgent alarms about this unfolding tragedy. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described Palestinians in Gaza as enduring a "humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions," with facts that are "undeniable," warning that Gaza teeters on the "brink of famine" as a third of the population experiences days without food. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has spotlighted the plight of nearly 12,000 malnourished children under five, highlighting rising hunger-related deaths, with 99 recorded this year alone.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell has decried the severe food deprivation facing Gaza’s children, calling on all parties to take immediate steps to prevent a full-scale humanitarian disaster. UN Human Rights experts have issued strong condemnations of Israel’s restrictions, warning that starvation is being used as a weapon of war — a crime under international law. They denounce the disruption of impartial aid delivery and point to nearly 1,400 Palestinians who have died in their desperate search for food. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has warned of forced displacement risks and accused the failure of the UN Security Council to enforce a ceasefire of enabling what it calls plans for genocide and territorial annexation. UN humanitarian offices such as OCHA and WHO have reported ongoing attacks on civilians seeking food, with over 1,373 Palestinians killed while pursuing humanitarian aid since May 2025, including many at distribution points.
Humanitarian Access and the Effect of Blockades
Despite Israel’s claims of humanitarian pauses and aid deliveries, independent reports indicate that border crossings into Gaza have remained closed for over two months, leading to skyrocketing food prices and rendering many families unable to access even basic nourishment. Over 116,000 metric tons of food and hundreds of pallets of life-saving nutrition treatments are reportedly pre-positioned at border crossings but lie idle due to the blockade and ongoing hostilities.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, tasked with handling aid delivery, has faced criticism for inefficiency and mismanagement, factors that contribute to food shortages and fatal delays at distribution sites. The prolonged denial of essential humanitarian assistance by Israeli authorities has been condemned by a coalition of nations including the UK, Germany, and France, which have jointly called for immediate and unrestricted aid access.
Broader Impact and Outlook for Gaza’s Civilians
The broader impact of Israel’s seizure plan, combined with the blockade and ongoing military operations, presents a dire and existential threat to Gaza’s civilian population. Continuous bombardments, repeated displacement orders, and curfews have uprooted residents multiple times, leaving few safe places to shelter. Destruction of agricultural land — with more than 86 percent of Gaza’s cropland reported damaged or inaccessible — has worsened the population’s ability to sustain themselves. The collapse of critical public services, including clean water, sanitation, and healthcare, risks expanding malnutrition and disease outbreaks. Children, in particular, face lifelong consequences due to starvation and chronic malnutrition.