One-third of families in Gaza are going the entire day without eating as a result of Israel’s continued bombardment of the Palestinian enclave, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and its partners.
Israel air strikes also killed dozens of Palestinians in fresh Gaza bombardment
In a statement, the WFP said families in Gaza are surviving on thin broths, lentils or rice, one piece of bread or sometimes just a combination of herbs and olive oil known locally as duqqa.
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It said that due to the extreme shortages of food, Palestinians routinely risk their lives to get some food.
“The majority of casualties have been shot or shelled trying to reach US-Israeli distribution sites purposefully set up in militarised zones,” said Johnathan Whittall, head of office for the UN humanitarian affairs agency, OCHA, in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The UN said that since 27 May, 549 Palestinians have been killed and 4,066 injured while trying to access food.
Other services are being pushed to the brink. As a result of fuel shortages, only 40 per cent of drinking water facilities are functional, and 93 per cent of households face water insecurity, the statement said.
During a meeting in Brussels, the EU said it “deplores the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, the unacceptable number of civilian casualties and the levels of starvation”.
“The European Council calls on Israel to fully lift its blockade on Gaza, to allow immediate, unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale into and throughout Gaza and to enable the UN and its agencies, and humanitarian organisations, to work independently and impartially to save lives and reduce suffering,” it said.
The bloc added it would discuss in July a report from its diplomatic service, which found there were indications Israel had breached its human rights obligations under the terms of a pact governing their relations. That meeting could lead to possible EU sanctions on Israel.
Gaza faces water crisis – UNRWA
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has warned that Gaza’s water system is on the verge of collapse, leaving families at risk of dying from thirst.
“Just 40 per cent of all drinking water production facilities remain functional,” the agency said in a Facebook post.
Due to continuous air strikes, mass displacement, and a fuel ban imposed by Israeli authorities for over 100 days, UNRWA said it can now supply only around half the volume of water it distributed during the ceasefire.
The agency also said home and building demolitions have been ongoing in the occupied West Bank for 12 days, as the territory has been out of the global spotlight.
“Out of the spotlight of the regional escalation, camps in the northern West Bank have faced ongoing destruction, with dozens of buildings demolished in the last twelve days,” Roland Friedrich, director of UNRWA affairs for the occupied West Bank, said in a statement.
“Even now, Israeli Forces are continuing to demolish homes and buildings in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams camps.
“This is not just destruction: it is part of systematic forced displacement, a violation of international law, and a form of collective punishment.”
Dozens killed as death toll surges to 56,259
At least 56,259 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza since October 2023, the Health Ministry said.
A ministry’s statement said that 103 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours (Wednesday morning to Thursday morning), with 219 people wounded, taking the number of wounded people to 132,458 in the Israeli onslaught.
Nine Palestinians were killed in Gaza City as Israeli strikes continued to target schools serving as shelters.
In Khan Younis, eleven Palestinians were confirmed dead after Israeli fire struck residential areas already devastated by previous attacks. Another Palestinians were killed in Deir al Balah.
Four other Palestinians, described by medics as civilians seeking humanitarian aid, were killed in central Gaza as they approached aid distribution points.
Dozens of others were wounded in Israeli attacks.
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