LIVE UPDATES: ‘Worst-case famine scenario’ unfolding in Gaza, global hunger monitor finds

• The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a global hunger monitoring system, has warned the “worst-case scenario of famine” is now unfolding in Gaza, as Israel continues to severely restrict aid entering the territory.
• Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s war on the Strip, as medical sources say Israeli forces killed at least 81 people across Gaza since dawn on Tuesday, including 32 aid seekers, despite “pauses” in fighting to deliver essential aid.
• An Israeli settler has shot dead Palestinian activist and teacher Awdah Hathaleen in Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank.
• Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 60,034 people and wounded 145,870. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks and more than 200 taken captive.

New report contradicts Canadian government claims it stopped arming Israel

A group of Canadian NGOs, operating under the banner Arms Embargo Now, have released a report with findings based on shipping records and government data they say contradict Canada’s claim that it stopped sending weapons to Israel.

The report reveals:

• There were 47 shipments with detailed commercial shipping records from manufacturers in Canada, selling military-related components to Israeli weapons companies between October 2023 and July 2025.
• 421,070 rounds of ammunition were exported to Israel since the Gaza assault began, including one shipment in April alone containing 175,000 bullets.
• There were 391 shipments, including bullets, military equipment, weapon parts, aircraft components, and communication devices, exported from Canada to Israel between October 2023 and June 2025.
• Shipments were sent from seven Canadian cities, destined primarily for Israel’s largest weapons company, Elbit Systems, its subsidiaries and other Israeli defence firms.
• About 100 international flights transported Canadian components to Israel – 64
  of them were commercial passenger planes where military cargo was loaded beneath civilian travellers on routes through Frankfurt, Paris, New York, Abu Dhabi, and New Delhi.

More from Keir Starmer

The British prime minister has reiterated a demand for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for the UN to be allowed to send humanitarian assistance into the enclave to prevent starvation.

“We are committed to working together with our international partners to develop a credible peace plan for the next phase in Gaza that establishes transitional governance and security arrangements, and ensures the delivery of humanitarian aid at the necessary scale,” Keir Starmer said, according to a government statement.

As we reported earlier, Starmer told his cabinet the UK will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel takes more steps to end the “appalling situation” in Gaza and commits to a “long term sustainable peace, including through allowing the UN to restart without delay the supply of humanitarian support to the people of Gaza to end starvation, agreeing to a ceasefire, and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank”.

He added: “We have long been committed to recognising a state of Palestine … Palestinian statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. It is not in the gift of any neighbour and is also essential to the long-term security of Israel.”

Rising hunger deaths proof Gaza situation crossed ‘from warning into tragedy’

The CEO of the international aid agency Mercy Corps says the latest IPC assessment of the situation in Gaza “confirms” urgent warnings of an unfolding famine in the territory.

Tjada D’Oyen McKenna said the increasing deaths from hunger, malnutrition and disease have proven that “we’ve already crossed from warning into tragedy”.

“Children are dying of hunger, malnutrition is skyrocketing, and families have exhausted every possible means to survive,” McKenna said, adding that one of the organisation’s team members in Gaza said the suffering there was “deeper than anything” they could express.

“Airdrops and humanitarian pauses are insufficient, and they won’t prevent mass starvation or help bring malnourished children back from the brink of death. None of these are adequate substitutes for a functioning humanitarian system,” McKenna said, stressing the most effective way to save lives in Gaza was to reopen all border crossings and deliver aid “at the scale that’s needed”.

‘Unconscionable’: Gaza children collapse from hunger as malnutrition surges

Save the Children says the number of children aged under five with acute malnutrition in its Gaza clinics has surged over the past four months.

In a statement, the charity said that of the 3,533 children screened for malnutrition during the first half of July, “259 were admitted for treatment (seven percent) compared to 28 (one percent) in March”.

“The number of children admitted for treatment of malnutrition in the first two weeks of July is close to the total for the whole of June,” it added.

“More than four in 10 pregnant and breastfeeding women – 43 percent – screened at Save the Children’s clinics so far in July were found to be malnourished, almost three times as many as in March when the government of Israel imposed a total siege on Gaza,” it added.

Ahmad Alhendawi, Save the Children’s regional director for the Middle East, Eastern Europe and North Africa, said it was “unconscionable” that children were collapsing from hunger and “wishing to die” at a time when “tonnes of lifesaving food and nutritional supplies that could reverse an entirely manmade crisis wait just across the border or even within Gaza”.

US and Europe pressure intensifies on Israel over Gaza disaster

There is no doubt pressure is building.

I think the pressure has gone from the young, the progressive, humanitarian organisations, and some developing countries into the mainstream – and into the mainstream of the West and Europe.

And we see more and more of that mainstream media. If you watch the American and French TV networks, for example, you will see even the “G word”, genocide, is being mentioned. You will see there’s much more talk about starvation.

If you look at the polls, they say only 8 percent of the Democratic Party in the United States support what Israel is doing. And why is all of that?

It is because 22 months have accumulated and there is something particular about children starving to death, and these images reaching people. In the four corners of the world, people are feeling complicit, because this is happening on their watch.

So people are speaking out and putting pressure on their governments. And I think that is certainly leading to some movement.

UK to recognise Palestinian state in September unless Gaza situation changes

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told the cabinet the country will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel takes more steps to end the “appalling situation” in Gaza.

“He said that the UK will recognise the state of Palestine in September, before UNGA [United Nations General Assembly], unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, reaches a ceasefire, makes clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank, and commits to a long-term peace process that delivers a Two State Solution,” a statement said.

“He reiterated that there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas and that our demands on Hamas remain, that they must release all the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, accept that they will play no role in the government of Gaza, and disarm.”

Starmer took the decision after recalling his cabinet during the summer holidays on Tuesday to discuss a new proposed peace plan being worked on with other European leaders and how to deliver more humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The decision comes amid growing pressure on Starmer by his Labour party to recognise a Palestinian state during the ongoing starvation crisis in Gaza. France also announced it would recognise the state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September.

‘Mama, who did you leave us for?’

Local journalists in Gaza have published upsetting footage on social media platforms showing the moment a young girl mourned the loss of her mother, who had been killed in an Israeli attack on her family’s tent in al-Mawasi, in the territory’s south.

“I was sitting with my father for a while. Then I went to the living room and looked at the floor without paying much attention, until we suddenly heard an explosion. My arm started bleeding, and blood was flowing from it. I began screaming, “Help me! Help me!” she said.

The girl, whom a local photographer names as Safa al-Agha, is seen in a visibly distressed state, caressing her deceased mother’s face as she weeps. Her arm is also heavily bandaged.

“Mama, smile for me. Who did you leave us for? You are beautiful. Mama is pregnant in the first month, we didn’t get the chance to be happy,” she said in the footage verified by Al Jazeera.

Satellite photos show thousands scrambling after food trucks in Gaza

Satellite images verified by the Sanad agency show thousands of displaced Palestinians surrounding about 15 aid trucks that managed to enter southern Gaza.

Large numbers of desperate people extended for more than 2km (1.2 miles) along the same street.

The satellite imagery taken on July 26 shows the Israeli army established a military post along the Morag Corridor road, less than 300 metres (980 feet) from the massive crowd, with Israeli military vehicles stationed between buildings used as cover by soldiers.

Medical sources and journalists later confirmed nine civilians were killed near an aid distribution point in the Qizan al-Najjar area, south of Khan Younis, as a result of Israeli army gunfire.

‘Explicit threat’: Hamas slams Smotrich’s comments on Gaza

The Palestinian group has condemned far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s recent comments on Gaza as an “explicit threat to continue the crimes of genocide and forced displacement”.

“This statement coincides with parallel moves aimed at imposing the occupation’s ‘sovereignty’ over the West Bank. We affirm that this dangerous occupation escalation will be met with all forms of legitimate resistance in defence of our land and national rights,” Hamas said.

As we reported earlier, Smotrich told a conference that Israel is “closer than ever” to rebuilding the illegal settlement of Gush Katif in Gaza, which he called “an integral part of the land of Israel”.

Hamas’s statement also comes after Israeli publication Haaretz reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had presented a proposal to Israel’s security cabinet to annex parts of the Gaza Strip in an effort to prevent Smotrich’s resignation.

‘Despite the pain and scars, the Palestinians will definitely survive this’

Ehab Bessaiso, a former minister of culture in the Palestinian Authority, says despite the widespread destruction of Palestinian heritage and culture caused by Israel, Palestinian identity will survive the war.

“This genocide is not just about the past, but it’s also about the deliberate policy by Israel’s leadership and the army to eliminate the future of Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank, by the constant incursions of Israeli settlers,” Bessaiso told Al Jazeera.

“I believe that despite the pain and scars, the Palestinians will definitely survive this.”

Still, Bessaiso said, Israel has been committed in destroying Gaza’s cultural identity by eliminating the Strip’s historical heritage and civilians’ personal memories there.

“We have been working the past years on how to preserve the cultural identity of Gaza despite all the challenges that have been imposed by the Israelis or the looting that has been carried out,” he added.

“We managed to save some but the rest is a big loss not only for Gaza or the Palestinians but for human civilisation.”

Israeli forces have killed 81 Palestinians since dawn

The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces across Gaza so far today rises by the hour, with the latest toll given to Al Jazeera by medical sources standing at 81.

The grim figure includes at least 32 aid seekers, the sources said.

Israel says army to remain in Gaza, same as occupied West Bank

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz told new army recruits he’s “confident” they will complete their goal of returning the captives and defeating Hamas.

In a statement on Telegram, Katz said the military will continue to be “around and inside” Gaza, just as it does in the occupied West Bank.

In comments reported by the Israeli news outlet Walla, Katz also told the recruits they are the ones “who must bear the security responsibility” in the enclave.

On the captives held in Gaza, Katz said they were at the “heart of considerations”.

“Any manoeuvre required, or even a deal with the enemy, to rescue 10 live abductees or even recover those who were killed, we will carry out while maintaining security. The central goal after the war is to prevent arms smuggling and prevent Hamas from rearming.”

Israel laments ‘distorted campaign’ on starvation in Gaza

Under mounting international pressure, Israel announced a series of measures over the weekend to increase the flow of aid, including expanded humanitarian corridors and international aid drops.

UN officials say there has so far been little change on the ground and far more is needed.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar denied that Israel is deliberately starving Gaza and said the focus on hunger is part of a “distorted campaign of international pressure”.

“This pressure is directly sabotaging the chances for a ceasefire and hostage deal. It is only pushing towards military escalation by hardening Hamas’s stance,” he said. “No external force will cause Israel to sacrifice its security, but it is always open to constructive dialogue.”

Saar added, “Hamas staying in power would be a tragedy for Israelis and Palestinians. We will not allow a jihadist terror state in heart of our ancient homeland.”

IPC report confirms ‘what we have feared – Gaza is on the brink of famine’: Guterres

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a statement on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) alert, saying it confirms that Gaza is on the “brink of famine”.

“The facts are in – and they are undeniable. Palestinians in Gaza are enduring a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions. This is not a warning. It is a reality unfolding before our eyes,” he said.

“The trickle of aid must become an ocean. Food, water, medicine, and fuel must flow in waves and without obstruction. This nightmare must end. Ending this worst-case scenario will take the best efforts of all parties now,” he said.

Guterres also reiterated his call for an “immediate and permanent humanitarian ceasefire”, the immediate and unconditional release of all captives, and full humanitarian access across Gaza.

Only way to reverse hunger ‘catastrophe’ is to flood Gaza with aid: UNRWA

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has commented on the latest IPC assessment that found that the worst-case scenario of famine is currently under way in Gaza.

“An entirely man-made famine,” Philippe Lazzarini wrote on social media.

“More than 100+ people have died due to hunger in the past few weeks alone. The only way to reverse this catastrophe is to flood Gaza with a massive scale up of aid,” he said.

“The United Nations, including UNRWA, have the expertise and resources available. UNRWA alone has the equivalent of 6,000 trucks of food and medicine ready to cross into Gaza. Let us do our work without restrictions, in safety and dignity,” the head of UNRWA urged.

Time running out for desperate Palestinians as limited trucks enter amid starvation crisis

Palestinians here still do not have any other options other than going to the GHF points in Netzarim.

There’s a crowd of people here who have been injured and shot at as they were trying to get food from that area.

We do not see any aid trucks – whatever trucks are coming are not making it halfway to the Gaza Strip.

There are a lot of desperate Palestinians who are jumping on these trucks, and they’re also taking whatever they can take.

When we ask Palestinians what is driving them to do that, they say they do not have time; their children are starving and they do not have time to wait for the process of distribution points and all of these processes.

But again, if a big number of trucks entered every single day, this would not be the case.

At least 73 trucks entered yesterday, but these are definitely not enough – Palestinians need at least 600 trucks every single day.

Photos: Children in Gaza clamber with pots and pans to receive a rare hot meal

Small amount of aid allowed into Gaza is purely for optics

This is the third day since Israel announced the opening of the “humanitarian corridor”, and what we’re seeing so far is it is designed largely to be theatrical.

It is not effective at all because we’re not seeing the direct impact on the ground.

It has marginalised more people, more of the hungry population, pushing them aside because the 22 months of constant bombardment created a power vacuum and conditions for looters and armed gang members to take over aid trucks coming from the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

Only 50 trucks have been allowed in over the past three days. This is not nearly enough to address the deepening humanitarian crisis. What has been let inside so far has either been looted or destroyed. What has made its way to the market is either expired or incredibly expensive.

Starvation is on the rise, and we’ve passed the tipping point.

Israeli forces have killed 62 Palestinians since dawn

The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces across Gaza so far today has now jumped to at least 62, according to medical sources.

As we’ve been reporting, 19 of the victims were aid seekers.

Merz urges Israel to boost aid to Gaza, warns against West Bank annexation

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called on Israel to urgently improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, saying initial steps are welcome but insufficient.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Berlin with Jordan’s King Abdullah, Merz confirmed that two German aircraft may begin airdropping humanitarian aid from Jordan into Gaza as early as Wednesday.

He stressed that further progress is necessary to prevent a worsening crisis and warned against any further moves towards annexation of the occupied West Bank.

“There can be no further steps or actions toward annexation,” he said, referring to growing international concerns over Israel’s settlement expansion and potential territorial claims.

Recognition of a Palestinian state must be viewed as one of the final steps within the framework of a negotiated two-state solution, Merz said.

Israeli army says it airdropped 52 aid packages into Gaza, denies starving civilians

The Israeli army says it airdropped dozens of aid boxes in Gaza to “improve the humanitarian response” in the Strip while denying it is intentionally starving civilians there.

“In recent hours, 52 aid packages, including food, were airdropped to residents of the southern and northern Gaza Strip,” the military said in a statement.

Israeli forces “will continue to work to improve the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip, in cooperation with the international community, while denying the false claims of intentional starvation in Gaza,” it added.

This comes amid mounting criticism against Israel’s near-total blockade of aid into the enclave as images of emaciated Palestinian children have been grabbing international attention in the past weeks. Earlier today, the leading global hunger monitor said the “worst-case scenario of famine” is currently unfolding in Gaza.

Dutch ambassador summoned in Israel

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reports that the Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has summoned the Dutch ambassador to Israel for a reprimand.

This comes after Dutch media reported that two far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, were declared persona non grata in the Netherlands for inciting settler violence and calling for ethnic cleansing in Gaza.

Greeks protest against arrival of Israeli cruise ship in Crete

People have gathered at the port of Agios Nikolaos in Crete to protest against the arrival of an Israeli cruise ship carrying some 1,500 passengers from Israel, the latest such protest to take place in recent days on a Greek island.

Footage from the scene showed protesters waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners calling for “an end to the genocide”.

Greek media reported that police used tear gas against the demonstrators and carried out a number of detentions as tensions flared up.

Similar pro-Palestinian protests have occurred in recent days on other islands, including Syros and Rhodes.

If you’re just joining us

Here’s what you need to know:

• Israel’s war on Gaza has now killed more than 60,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
• The IPC, a UN-backed global hunger monitor, has issued an alert in which it says the “worst-case scenario of famine” is currently unfolding in Gaza.
• Our correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, says the Israeli military conducted a bombardment overnight that left dozens dead in the central areas of Gaza, in what residents describe as one of the bloodiest nights in recent weeks.
• Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp says the Netherlands has declared two far-right Israeli ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, persona non grata for inciting settler violence and calling for ethnic cleansing in Gaza.

What does starvation do to the human body?

The Gaza Strip is experiencing a starvation crisis, with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global hunger monitoring system, warning earlier today that the “worst-case scenario of famine” is now unfolding in the besieged territory.

Starvation occurs when the human body is deprived of food for an extended period, resulting in severe health issues and often leading to death.

Estimates suggest the body can survive up to three weeks without food, although the actual duration varies among individuals.

Starvation occurs over three stages. The first begins as early as when a meal is skipped; the second occurs with a prolonged period of fasting where the body uses stored fat for energy.

The third, and often fatal, stage is when all stored fats have been depleted, and the body turns to bone and muscle as sources of energy.