PALESTINE – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has raised alarm over escalating casualties, widespread displacement, and escalating destruction of civilian infrastructure across the Gaza Strip, driven by continued Israeli bombardment.
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According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, five additional people succumbed to malnutrition and starvation in the past 24 hours, raising the total number of malnutrition-related deaths to 227, including 103 children, since October 2023.
The World Food Programme has warned that starvation and malnutrition in Gaza have reached unprecedented levels. The World Health Organization reports nearly 12,000 children under five are now acutely malnourished—the highest monthly figure on record—with sharp increases in hospital admissions from June to July.
UNRWA underscores that virtually the entire population of Gaza is traumatized after 676 days of conflict. The agency warns that children are dying, families are losing everything, and political will is urgently required to prevent further escalation and bring an end to the war.
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Humanitarian aid continues to fall far short of needs. Although the UN and partners are working tirelessly to provide assistance, they face severe delays and obstacles. Of the 16 aid coordination missions requested this week, only four were fully facilitated; three were denied, four were impeded but eventually completed, two were cancelled, and others remain ongoing or blocked.
The WHO also highlights that food, medical supplies, and clean water are critically scarce, with many hospitals and primary health centres either closed or operating under dire conditions.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank, OCHA reports that another Palestinian Bedouin community has been forcibly displaced due to violence by Israeli forces and settlers. In Ain Ayoub, Ramallah governorate, around 100 residents were evicted from their homes without an official order.
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They were urged to relocate to a nearby village. The eviction follows weekend attacks in which settlers burned residential caravans, threatened residents, and issued a 24-hour expulsion demand.
This Bedouin community, which has existed for over 40 years, has been subjected to continuous incursions and pressure.
Settlers, often under the protection of Israeli forces, have perpetrated harassment and intimidation, while community members have been left with no viable alternatives for shelter or recourse.
Sources: Reuters, Anadolu Ajansı, The Guardian, The New Arab
