Gaza Humanitarian Catastrophe Deepens Amid Deadly Strikes, Ceasefire Talks Intensify
Gaza Humanitarian Catastrophe Deepens Amid Deadly Strikes, Ceasefire Talks Intensify
The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has reached a catastrophic level, with over 100 charity and human rights groups, alongside the World Health Organization (WHO), warning that Israel’s blockade and ongoing military offensive are pushing more than 2 million Palestinians toward starvation. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported a “deadly surge” in malnutrition, with acute malnutrition centers overflowing and more than 20% of pregnant and breastfeeding women severely malnourished. The UN agency for reproductive health (UNFPA) also reported a dramatic 41% decline in births and a 20-fold increase in maternal deaths in the first half of 2025 compared to three years prior, highlighting the collapse of Gaza’s health system.
Israeli strikes continued overnight into Wednesday, killing at least 21 people, predominantly women and children, according to local health officials. One strike on a Gaza City house alone killed 12 people, including six children. The Israeli military stated it was deepening operations in Gaza City and northern Gaza, striking approximately 120 targets over the past day. Israel maintains that it targets Hamas militants and blames the group for civilian casualties due to their operations in populated areas. The military also acknowledged that an earlier strike on the Holy Family Church last week, which killed three, was due to an “unintentional deviation of munitions.”
Amid the escalating crisis, high-level diplomatic efforts are underway to secure a ceasefire. A senior Israeli official, Ron Dermer, is set to meet U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in Rome on Thursday to discuss the state of negotiations, signaling a potential breakthrough after weeks of stalled lower-level talks.
Internationally, condemnation and accusations against Israel’s conduct are mounting. Climate campaigner Greta Thunberg accused Israel of “systematically starving” over two million people in Gaza, calling for continued global protests. While Egypt’s Al-Azhar, a leading Sunni Islam authority, initially accused Israel of “full-scale genocide” before retracting the post to avoid jeopardizing ceasefire talks, a case accusing Israel of genocide remains before the International Court of Justice. Israel vehemently rejects these accusations, calling them “blood libel.”
Meanwhile, Israel has accused the UN’s humanitarian agency (OCHA) of “bias” and “defamation,” announcing security vetting for hundreds of employees and visa restrictions for international staff. This comes as aid groups, including 115 human rights and charity organizations, issued a letter Wednesday slamming Israel’s restrictions, delays, and fragmentation of aid, which they say have created “chaos, starvation, and death.” Israel counters that it has allowed thousands of aid trucks into Gaza since May and blames aid groups for distribution failures, while the UN cites Israeli military restrictions and a breakdown of law and order for delivery challenges.
In a separate development, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, backed a symbolic motion 71-13 to annex the West Bank, a move seen internationally as potentially undermining the possibility of a two-state solution. Adding to regional tensions, Human Rights Watch has labeled recent Houthi attacks on Red Sea vessels, which killed crew members, as war crimes, urging an end to attacks on non-combatant ships.
A senior Gaza health official, Dr. Marwan al-Hams, was reportedly detained by Israeli soldiers earlier this week, with his detention extended until the end of the month.
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