Gaza Conflict: Aid Blockade and Humanitarian Crisis Deepens

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned nearly 30 Western nations for supporting a statement calling for an immediate halt to Israel's conflict with the terrorist organization Hamas, saying it was "embarrassing for a nation to side w/ a terror group like Hamas". The statement, signed by the foreign ministers of the participating nations, condemned the killing of Palestinian civilians at aid checkpoints. Hamas welcomed the condemnation, prompting Israel's Foreign Minister Gidon Saar to say "if Hamas embraces you – you are in the wrong place."

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is set to meet with Israeli and Qatari officials in Rome to push for a ceasefire deal in Gaza, as indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel continue. A 60-day ceasefire proposal, backed by the US, has been agreed to by Israel and includes a phased release of hostages and withdrawal of Israeli troops from parts of Gaza. President Donald Trump has expressed optimism about a deal being near, stating that it "will not get better" for Hamas and that it could lead to an expansion of the Abraham Accords.

A former US soldier who worked at a Gaza aid distribution centre run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has alleged that security personnel shot at Palestinians and used excessive force, including stun grenades and pepper spray, against unarmed civilians. The United Nations has criticized the GHF's aid distribution scheme, calling it a "sadistic death trap" where over 1,000 people have been killed trying to receive food aid since May. The GHF has denied the allegations, stating that they are "categorically false" and that video footage and witness statements support their claim that civilians were not under fire at their distribution site.

Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born anti-Israel activist, refused to condemn Hamas as a terrorist organization, instead blaming Israel for the plight of Gazans. Despite this, Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, welcomed him on Capitol Hill, hailing him as a martyr. The article accuses Khalil of being a "Hamas simp" and criticizes Democrats for sucking up to a terrorist sympathizer.

Over 100 international aid organizations, including Médecins Sans Frontières, Save the Children, and Oxfam, warn of mass starvation in Gaza, citing severe malnutrition among children and adults, and calling for governments to take action. Israel has imposed a total blockade on aid deliveries to Gaza since March, which was partially eased after warnings of a looming famine. The UN reports that almost 100,000 women and children suffer from severe acute malnutrition, and the World Health Organization states that a quarter of Gaza's population faces famine-like conditions. The aid groups accuse Israel of "siege starvation" and say that aid workers are also struggling to access food. The Israeli military disputes the claims, stating that it facilitates aid entry while ensuring it doesn't reach Hamas. The UN says Israel has an obligation under international law to ensure humanitarian aid reaches the population in need.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Gaza is facing "man-made mass starvation" due to an Israeli aid blockade, with the population struggling to access food and water. The WHO's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated that 95% of households in Gaza are facing severe water shortages and that the UN was unable to deliver food for nearly 80 days between March and May. At least 21 children have died from malnutrition in 2025, with 5,100 children admitted to malnutrition programs in July alone. Israel has denied responsibility for the shortages, claiming that Hamas is to blame for looting aid trucks and endangering its own people. Aid agencies have accused Israel of creating "chaos, starvation, and death" through its restrictions on aid entering Gaza, with supplies now "totally depleted". The UN Secretary-General has described the situation as a "horror show", with "starvation knocking on every door" in Gaza.