Gaza is facing a devastating humanitarian catastrophe as aid-related deaths continue to rise. Palestinians are risking their lives for basic food supplies amid extreme shortages and military conflict. In just five days, over 50 people have died while seeking aid, with the UN reporting nearly 1,000 aid-related deaths this year. A U.S. aid agency report challenges claims of Hamas stealing aid, instead highlighting the impact of Israeli military actions. Global leaders and organizations are calling for an immediate ceasefire, as starvation and desperation reach unbearable levels. This blog captures the full extent of Gaza’s ongoing crisis
Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has reached unbearable levels, as Palestinians risk their lives standing in endless queues for food and basic supplies. Scenes of desperation have become common at Gaza’s aid distribution centers, where families clutch empty containers and stretch their hands toward volunteers trying to serve scarce portions. These powerful and tragic images underscore the dire reality for millions caught in the conflict.
In the past five days alone, 54 Palestinians have died in incidents related to aid distribution. In just the last 24 hours, 13 more lives were lost in similar circumstances. According to the United Nations, nearly 1,000 people have died while seeking humanitarian aid in Gaza since the beginning of the year. The numbers are a grim reflection of a population pushed to the brink of starvation under siege.
One Palestinian man, holding a small bag of food, expressed the deep humiliation and danger involved in obtaining aid: “This bag costs 10 shekels, but we are being humiliated now and dying to have it. I almost died when I brought it from under a tank.” Another refugee standing in line pleaded, “We ask God and our Arab brothers to work harder to reach a ceasefire before we all die.”
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recently conducted an internal investigation into the distribution of aid in Gaza. The analysis, completed in June 2025, found no evidence of systematic theft of US-funded supplies by Hamas—a key claim used by both Israel and the United States to justify a new armed private aid operation. USAID reviewed 156 incidents of aid theft or loss reported by partner organizations between October 2023 and May 2025. In at least 44 of those incidents, the losses were directly or indirectly caused by Israeli military actions.
Despite the report’s significance, Israel has yet to issue a response. Meanwhile, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly dismissed the report, claiming no State Department official had seen it and suggesting it may have been the work of a “deep state operative” aiming to undermine President Donald Trump’s humanitarian policy.
On the international front, pressure is mounting on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring the war to an end and alleviate the suffering of Palestinians. Italy has stated that it can no longer accept the “carnage and famine” unfolding in Gaza. Meanwhile, aid organizations have reported that 25% of young children and pregnant women in the enclave are now suffering from malnutrition.
UK Labour leader Keir Starmer has announced a plan to evacuate children in need of critical medical care to the United Kingdom. “The appalling scenes in Gaza are unrelenting, and I know the British people are sickened by what is happening,” said Starmer. “The images of starvation and desperation are utterly horrifying. The denial of aid to children and to babies is completely unjustifiable, just as the continued captivity of hostages is completely unjustifiable.”
Hundreds of civilians, including children, have been killed while seeking food, water, and basic necessities. Aid workers report children being shot while trying to collect water. The international humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) has accused Israel of using starvation as a deliberate weapon of war. According to MSF, patients and healthcare workers are now fighting for their own survival, as Gaza spirals into mass starvation.
The global aid community has issued urgent appeals for intervention, warning that the enclave is rapidly descending into one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent memory. As Gaza remains under siege, the death toll continues to rise—not just from bombs, but from hunger, thirst, and despair.