Israel’s Gaza Attacks Kill Dozens Amid Rising Hunger-Related Deaths

Dozens have been killed in Gaza by intensified Israeli attacks, while famine is tightening its grip as hunger-related deaths spike. Humanitarian agencies, UN officials, and world leaders have issued stark warnings as Israeli strikes and the collapse of aid delivery threaten mass starvation.

Israel’s Intensified Bombardment of Gaza Leaves Dozens Dead as Humanitarian Situation Deteriorates

As reported by BBC News, at least 69 individuals were killed across Gaza on Thursday, according to rescue teams, during an escalation of Israeli airstrikes targeting Palestinian areas. Many of the casualties occurred in overcrowded shelters and aid distribution lines, with women and children among the dead. The escalation comes amidst mounting international pressure for a ceasefire as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached alarming new levels.

What Is the Current Scale of Violence in Gaza?

Israeli airstrikes have pounded multiple locations across the enclave. Hospitals and civil defence officials cited by BBC News and CBS News confirmed that more than 100 people were killed overnight recently by Israeli bombs, with schools and makeshift tents sheltering displaced families directly hit.
Dr Marwan Sultan, director at the Indonesian Hospital, told The New York Times that over 50 bodies were received in a single night after heavy strikes in northern Gaza. 

“Dozens died in their homes,” he said,

“with entire
families wiped out.”

The destruction has forced the main medical facility in northern Gaza to close, imperilling care for survivors.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said—per statements relayed by BBC journalist reports—that about 150 “terrorist sites” were targeted within a 24-hour period. The Israeli military maintains that it aims for Hamas members, not civilians, but many Palestinians and international organisations allege otherwise.

“Every location is a target… There are no safe places,”

said Ashraf Abu Shaba, a resident of a bombed tent camp, speaking to BBC News reporters.

Responsibility for the high civilian toll is rigorously denied by Israel, whose military blames Hamas for using human shields, a claim that Hamas rejects. Nevertheless, witnesses like Wafaa al-Arqan, who lost relatives in a shelter hit by explosives, asked Reuters,

“Is it just that all these children were burned?”

Why Are Hunger-Related Deaths Rising So Rapidly?

According to a United Nations humanitarian update shared by UN News and corroborated by BBC News,

“famine conditions are tightening their grip on the Gaza Strip.”

Since October 2023, at least 154 malnutrition-related deaths — including 89 children — have been recorded by Gaza’s health authorities, with 63 of these occurring in July alone. Humanitarian experts warn that famine thresholds for both food consumption and acute malnutrition have been crossed in several regions across Gaza, and 22% of the population is experiencing “catastrophic” food insecurity.

Ross Smith, the UN World Food Programme’s Director of Emergencies, expressed in a briefing carried by UN News:

“This is not a warning, this is a call to action. This is unlike anything we have seen in this century. It’s a disaster unfolding in front of our eyes, in front of our television screens.”

The IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) noted entire families going days without food, with one in three Palestinians suffering prolonged hunger and young children facing “acute malnutrition” at alarming rates. UNICEF’s Deputy Director for humanitarian efforts, Ted Chaiban, told Al Jazeera:

“Over 320,000 young children are in jeopardy of acute malnutrition… we stand at a critical juncture, and the decisions made now will influence whether tens of thousands of children survive or perish.”

How Has Gaza’s Infrastructure Collapsed?

The humanitarian infrastructure is in ruins. According to UN sources—a view echoed in BBC, UNICEF, and World Health Organization briefings—at least 70% of Gaza’s infrastructure is destroyed. Safe zones now cover less than 12% of the territory. Access to water, food, health, and sanitation is critically limited, driving further disease and starvation.

The destruction of hospitals—most recently the main facility in northern Gaza—has made medical care nearly impossible to access for those wounded in strikes or suffering from malnutrition.

What Has Been the Impact of Israeli Actions at Aid Sites?

Recent days have seen deadly incidents at aid distribution points, further inflaming the crisis. BBC News and CNN report that—ahead of a site visit by US Envoy Steve Witkoff and Ambassador Mike Huckabee—Palestinians attempting to collect food near a US-backed humanitarian facility in Rafah came under Israeli fire, with hospital officials confirming multiple fatalities. Israeli military spokespersons told CNN that only warning shots were fired after crowds ignored orders to disperse, but survivors disputed this account, with the hospital citing deaths and injuries from live fire.

Furthermore, BBC correspondent statements cite UN figures that over 1,373 Palestinians have been killed near aid sites since late May, even as Israel promised daily “military pauses” for humanitarian access.

How Are International Leaders and Organisations Reacting?

US President Donald Trump has expressed hope that Israel will help ensure food deliveries reach those starving in Gaza and prevent “aid misappropriation by Hamas,” as reported by NPR and NBC News. Trump described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “a competent person” but issued reminders that “people get fed” must be a top priority, asserting:

“It’s terrible what’s happening there. It’s a dreadful situation. People are very hungry.”

Human Rights Watch, as quoted in NPR, accused Israel of potentially committing war crimes by using starvation as a weapon—a charge Israel denies. The U.S. Congress, meanwhile, has seen attempts by Democrats to halt arms sales to Israel over the civilian toll and hunger crisis.

International outcry is mounting. The United Kingdom, France, and Canada have signalled they may formally recognise Palestinian statehood by September if Israel’s blockade of aid persists, with UK officials stating this would become more likely “unless there is a shift in Israel’s approach”.

UNICEF and the World Food Programme have repeated urgent appeals for

“immediate ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access.”

“Time is running out for a full-scale humanitarian response,”

warned OCHA experts, underscoring the risk of tens of thousands more deaths.

Who Is to Blame for the Famine?

Israel’s government maintains that it is not blocking aid—arguing that enough supplies enter and blaming looting by Hamas or armed gangs, some of which, reports say, Israel supports to weaken Hamas. UN agencies and an array of humanitarian groups, however, place responsibility for Gaza’s “man-made mass starvation” squarely with Israel, as the controlling power for access to food and essentials.

What Is the Outlook for Gaza’s Civilian Population?

With the rate of malnutrition and hunger-related deaths climbing steeply and no ceasefire in sight, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is expected to deepen, threatening thousands more with starvation. As BBC News relayed, the situation has “crossed the famine threshold” in multiple areas—especially for children.

Medical sources told Al Jazeera that more deaths are being recorded daily—like that of 17-year-old Atef Abu Khater, whose malnutrition rapidly proved fatal despite being otherwise healthy before the conflict.

Key Developments at a Glance

Gaza faces a dual catastrophe: unrelenting Israeli military action killing dozens daily—often in shelters and aid queues—and an unprecedented famine that humanitarian groups warn is “unlike anything seen in this century.” Israeli officials assert they target only militants and blame Hamas for civilian deaths; aid organisations and UN bodies strongly dispute this, citing both siege and bombardment as primary causes. With global outrage growing, especially over the children dying from hunger and violence, urgent calls for a ceasefire and large-scale humanitarian access have so far gone unheeded.