Nine people in Gaza died from malnutrition in the last 24 hours, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The death toll from hunger has now reached 122, with 83 of the victims being children. The announcement comes as Israel says it will allow foreign governments to begin airdropping aid into the besieged enclave “in the coming days,” according to Israeli army radio and multiple Israeli media reports. The Times of Israel named Jordan and the UAE among the countries expected to take part in the airdrops.
Israel’s decision follows mounting international pressure and disturbing evidence of widespread starvation across Gaza. However, aid agencies warn that airdrops are a deeply flawed solution.
When countries like the UK, U.S., and Jordan dropped aid last year, aid workers said it was not enough. One airdrop by the UK Royal Air Force delivered 10 metric tons of food and water less than a single truck could bring through a land crossing. Some pallets drifted into the sea, and people drowned trying to retrieve them. In other cases, parachutes failed and falling crates killed or injured civilians.
Doctors in Gaza report a growing wave of patients suffering from severe malnutrition. Médecins Sans Frontières said 25% of the children and pregnant women it screened in Gaza were malnourished. In Gaza City, MSF is identifying 25 new cases daily among healthcare workers. According to the group, more than 1,000 people have been killed and 7,200 wounded at aid distribution sites.
At al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest, medical director Dr. Hassan al-Shaer confirmed that cases of hunger are no longer limited to children. “We are seeing malnutrition across all age groups,” he said. “We lack all the necessary supplies to treat them.”
One mother, Shahenaz Al Debs, told press her 14-year-old son Mosab, injured in an Israeli airstrike, has dropped from 40kg to “barely 10kg” due to the lack of food and medicine. “We cry out a hundred thousand times,” she said in tears. “I die a thousand times a day.”
Israel maintains that it is not limiting aid. “There is no restriction on the amount of aid that can enter Gaza,” an Israeli spokesperson said, contradicting testimony from aid groups and journalists on the ground.
Independent evidence gathered by more than 100 humanitarian organizations shows that food, fuel, and medicine are not reaching Gaza in the volumes needed. A correspondent confirmed that freelancers working in Gaza for the outlet are now struggling to survive. One journalist, caring for his extended family, said he often goes two days without food. “I feel tired and exhausted all the time,” he said. “To the point of dizziness and falling to the ground.”
The political situation around Gaza’s suffering continues to evolve. On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to recognize the State of Palestine by September at the United Nations. President Macron is the first G7 leader and permanent UN Security Council member to make such a commitment. The move has drawn criticism from Israel and the U.S. but is increasing pressure on countries like the UK and Germany to follow suit.
Meanwhile, ceasefire negotiations remain fragile. A senior Hamas official told the press that contrary to recent reports, talks have not collapsed. The official said Israeli negotiators may return to Qatar next week to resume discussions. Hamas stated it remains committed to pursuing a permanent ceasefire agreement.
Despite the political rhetoric, the facts on the ground remain unchanged. Food is not reaching the people who need it. Starvation is spreading. Children are dying. And aid continues to trickle in far too slowly when it arrives at all.
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