As hunger deepens and global pressure mounts, Israel’s military campaign intensifies despite daily ceasefire windows
In Gaza, even the so-called “safe zones” offer no safety. Within hours of Israel’s announcement to implement daily humanitarian pauses in parts of the besieged enclave, air raids resumed—targeting civilians in areas that were supposed to be spared.
At least 63 Palestinians were killed across Gaza on the first day of the proposed pause, including victims in Gaza City, where a bakery was bombed. “This is one of the areas designated as a safe zone,” reported Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary from Deir el-Balah. “But there was still an air strike.”
The Israeli military said it would halt operations between 10am and 8pm daily in specific northern and central areas, and open corridors for aid from 6am to 11pm. But Palestinians and aid workers say the reality on the ground contradicts those statements—bombings continue, and aid is sporadic, dangerous, and insufficient.
A Starving Population
The hunger crisis in Gaza is now at its most critical point since the war began in October 2023. In just 24 hours, six more Palestinians—including two children—died from malnutrition, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. That brings the total number of famine-related deaths to 133, among them five-month-old Zainab Abu Haleeb, who died after three months in hospital.
“I stayed with her day and night, and she died of hunger,” said her mother, Israa.
The World Food Programme estimates that one in three people in Gaza has gone days without food. Nearly half a million are suffering from famine-like conditions, while the World Health Organization reports alarming rates of malnutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Palestinians like Falestine Ahmed, a mother, say they are wasting away. “I used to weigh 57kg. Now I’m 42kg. My son and I are both severely malnourished. We have no food.”
Aid Under Fire
Despite new aid corridors and airdrops by the UAE and Jordan, deliveries are scarce and risky. One drop near al-Rasheed Road left 11 people injured when a pallet fell onto tents.
“It’s a nightmare,” said Liz Allcock of Medical Aid for Palestinians. “You see people who are literally skin and bones. Even if you have money, there’s nothing to buy.”
Displaced mother Smoud Wahdan echoed that desperation: “My children haven’t eaten in a week. I’m risking my life just for a piece of bread.”
The UN insists that aid must move faster and without obstruction. Aid chief Tom Fletcher acknowledged slight improvements but said they are far from enough. “Vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis.”
Mounting Diplomatic Pressure
Global leaders are calling out the worsening crisis. French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to co-host a conference on peace and confirmed that France will soon recognize Palestinian statehood.
“We cannot accept that people—especially children—die of hunger,” Macron said.
Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, called Israel’s blockade of food “a breach of international law and humanity.” Still, he stopped short of recognizing a Palestinian state immediately.
In the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that a ceasefire deal led by President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, is making progress. “We’re hopeful it will happen any day now,” he told Fox News.
Relentless Toll
While the world talks of diplomacy and humanitarian corridors, the assault on Gaza shows no sign of abating. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 88 deaths and 374 injuries in the past day alone.
Since the start of Israel’s military operation, 59,821 Palestinians have been killed, and over 144,000 wounded.
For many in Gaza, the so-called pauses bring no peace—only more uncertainty in a war that seems endless.