Hunger in Gaza

Israel expanded its ground offensive in Gaza this week amid concerns about a worsening food shortage in the enclave as a new distribution system continued to pose deadly risks to those seeking aid.

Health authorities in Gaza said this week 33 people had died of starvation and 600,000 of the enclave’s 2.1 million residents had malnutrition symptoms.

Khalil al-Deqran, a spokesperson for the Hamas-run health ministry, told Reuters: “Hospitals can’t provide much more help for hunger-related symptoms because of food and medicine shortages.”

The Israeli agency responsible for aid, Cogat, denied there was starvation in Gaza, accusing Hamas of spreading propaganda to pressure Israel during ceasefire negotiations.

But a group of 109 aid organisations said this week “mass starvation” was spreading in Gaza and urged Israel to support a United Nations-led aid system.

Israel blocked aid entering Gaza for more than two months until late May, saying it did not want supplies being intercepted or controlled by Hamas. Since then, aid has been overseen by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a group backed by Israel and the United States that has distributed aid from four sites.

More than 800 people seeking aid have been killed while trying to reach the sites, mostly by Israeli forces, according to local officials. Israel says it has fired warning shots near crowds to avoid threats to soldiers but disputed the casualty numbers.

Officials from Israel, Egypt and the UN held talks in Cairo this week on a new aid distribution plan that would reduce the role of the GHF.

This week, Israel said 950 trucks of aid that had been allowed into Gaza were yet to be collected by aid organisations. The UN said aid had not been collected due to the ongoing fighting and Israeli restrictions on movements within Gaza.

Mohammed Mahmoud, a father of four who lives in Gaza, told BBC News on Wednesday that his family had eaten only lentils for two days.

“We mix a little table salt into a glass of water and drink it, just to get some electrolytes,” he said.

On Monday, Israeli troops pressed deeper into Gaza, operating in Deir al-Balah, one of few areas that the military had not yet entered. Israel reportedly believes Hamas is holding hostages there.

Rabiha Salman, a 58-year-old Gazan who had taken refuge in Deir al-Balah with her family of nine, told The Washington Post they had been forced to flee for the fifth time since the war began.

“Our whole life has become displacement and suffering, for almost two years,” she said.

Australia joins aid plea

On Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used his strongest language yet to deplore the situation in Gaza, saying it “​has gone beyond the world’s worst fears”.

“The position of the Australian Government is clear: every innocent life matters. Every Israeli. Every Palestinian. This conflict has stolen far too many innocent lives. Tens of thousands of civilians are dead, children are starving.

“Gaza is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe. Israel’s denial of aid and the killing of civilians, including children, seeking access to water and food cannot be defended or ignored. We call on Israel to comply immediately with its obligations under international law.”

His words follow the announcement from France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, that the country will officially recognise Palestine as a state at the UN General Assembly in September, drawing criticism from both the US and Israel.

The pressure mounted this week with a joint statement from 28 countries – comprising 24 European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Japan – calling for an end to the war and urging Israel to lift restrictions on the flow of aid.

The statement, released on Monday, condemned the Israeli-backed aid delivery system, saying it was “dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity”.

“We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food,” it said.

Israel’s foreign affairs ministry rejected the statement, saying it was “disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas”.

The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, described the statement as disgusting, saying it “put pressure on Israel instead of savages of Hamas”.

Australia’s foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, told Sky News on Tuesday the decision to join the statement reflected the “distress” in Australia about the deaths of Gazans seeking aid. Asked about Huckabee’s comments, she said Donald Trump was a strong advocate of a ceasefire and hostage deal.

“I think President Trump has the greatest chance of any political leader of brokering a ceasefire,” she said.

Ceasefire setback

Steve Witkoff, the White House’s Middle East envoy, has announced a US withdrawal from talks for a truce in Gaza. In a statement on Thursday, Witkoff said. “We have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.”

Israel has also recalled its negotiators, though the Times of Israel reported a senior Israeli official saying there had been “no collapse” in the talks.

Hamas expressed surprise at the halt, saying, “The movement affirms its keenness to continue negotiations and engage in them in a manner that helps overcome obstacles and leads to a permanent ceasefire agreement.”

Negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Qatar had focused on plans for a 60-day ceasefire that would reportedly include the release of 10 hostages and the bodies of 18 dead hostages, the withdrawal of Israeli troops to agreed lines, the release of Palestinian detainees and a boost to the flow of aid.

According to CBS News, Israel presented a map this week showing new withdrawal lines – an issue that has been the main point of contention. Hamas had submitted its response to the ceasefire framework early Thurday.

The ceasefire would have enabled talks on ending the war, which began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel’s attacks on Gaza have killed more than 59,000 people, according to local officials. Israel says it has killed at least 20,000 Hamas fighters.

Fragile truce in Syria

Meanwhile, in Syria, a fragile ceasefire appeared to be holding this week after nine days of clashes between Druze groups and Bedouin clans that are believed to have left more than 1300 people dead and prompted 130,000 to flee.

The fighting, which occurred in Suweida, a southern province, led to the deployment of forces by the interim Syrian government, which was accused of siding with the Bedouins. Israel then attacked government forces in Suweida as well as the defence ministry in Damascus, saying it wanted to protect the Druze community.

The US, Turkey and Jordan helped to mediate a ceasefire on July 19, which has largely held despite some limited clashes between the Druze and Bedouins.

The violence in Suweida involved some of the heaviest sectarian fighting since former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was ousted last December.

According to the United Kingdom-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the fighting left 1311 people dead, including 196 people who were executed by government-linked militias.

Bedouin, Druze and government forces were accused of atrocities, including targeting civilians and sexual violence. Staff at the main hospital in Suweida told a BBC News reporter this week that government forces conducted a massacre there of as many as 300 Druze patients.

Syria’s defence ministry said on Tuesday it was aware of reports of “shocking violations” by people wearing military fatigues in Suweida. It said it will launch an investigation.

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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

France will recognize Palestine as a state, French President Emmanuel Macron announced yesterday. In a social media post, Macron said that he would formalize the decision at the U.N. General Assembly in September and that “the urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved.” Separately, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that he would hold an emergency call with France and Germany over the situation in Gaza. Angela Charlton reports for AP News; Reuters reports.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today urged Israel to “immediately” meet its international law obligations by allowing food into Gaza, adding that the situation in the territory has “gone beyond the world’s worst fears” and “Israel’s denial of aid and the killing of civilians, including children, seeking access to water and food cannot be defended or ignored.” Laura Sharman and Angus Watson report for CNN.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE

The United States is recalling its negotiating team from Doha, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said, as the latest response from Hamas “clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire.” The United States “will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,” Witkoff added. Israel has also recalled its negotiating team to put additional pressure on Hamas, an Israeli source said, adding that the talks “did not collapse.” Jennifer Hansler and Kylie Atwood report for CNN; Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

The United States “strongly rejects” France’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday, stating that France’s “reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace.” Jennifer Hansler reports for CNN.

A U.S. Agency for International Development assessment completed in late June found no evidence of systematic theft of U.S.-funded humanitarian supplies by Hamas, according to a findings presentation seen by Reuters. The analysis challenges the main rationale Israel and the U.S. presented for backing the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s militarised aid supply model. A State Department spokesperson disputed the analysis, accusing aid groups of covering up “aid corruption.” Jonathan Landay reports.

The United States will not attend the upcoming U.N. conference on the Israel-Palestine two-state solution, a State Department spokesperson said yesterday. Reuters reports.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — AID SUPPLY CRISIS

BBC News, Agence France-Presse, Associated Press, and Reuters are “desperately concerned for [their] journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families,” the news agencies said in a joint statement yesterday, “once again” urging Israel to “allow journalists in and out of Gaza.” Amy Walker reports for BBC News.

Doctors without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF) charity today said it is witnessing “catastrophic levels of malnutrition” in Gaza, with 25% of children and pregnant women screened by MSF clinics suffering malnutrition. “What is happening in Gaza is the deliberate starvation of people, manufactured by the Israeli authorities,” the MSF statement reads. Separately, the U.N. aid agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) said that 20% of children in Gaza are malnourished, with cases increasing every day. BBC News reports; Aoife Walsh and Paulin Kola report for BBC News.

SYRIA

Senior Israeli and Syrian ministers yesterday met in Paris for a four-hour-long discussion on deescalating tensions, brokered by the United States. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

Saudi Arabia yesterday announced it would invest $6.4 billion in Syria, in a sign of deepening relations between Riyadh and Damascus. Christina Goldbaum and Ismaeel Naar report for the New York Times.

A series of fires and explosions at military bases and weapons storage sites in Syria this month has raised concerns about whether caches of unexploded ordnance from Syria’s civil war located close to civilian areas have been properly secured. An explosion at a military base in north-western Syria yesterday killed at least six people and injured more than 100, according to the Syrian Civil Defense rescue teams. Raja Abdulrahim and Muhammad Haj Kadour report for the New York Times.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

The Netherlands and 40 other Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) member states have formally called for an independent investigation into the allegations of torture and mistreatment of Ukrainian POWs by the Russian forces, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp announced yesterday. Veldkamp did not specify which countries joined the Netherlands’ request. Reuters reports.

SpaceX’s Starlink systems used by the Ukrainian forces were down for two and a half hours overnight into today due to a global outage of the system, a senior commander said. Max Hunder reports for Reuters.

GLOBAL AFFAIRS

Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for a second day today, amid fighting over a disputed border area that intensified despite international calls for a ceasefire. According to Thailand’s health ministry, more than 15 people have been killed on the Thai side, and more than 131,000 people in Thailand have been displaced since the fighting started. Shoon Naing and Artorn Pookasook report for Reuters; Sun Narin, Francesca Regalado, and Phuriphat Dejsuphong report for the New York Times.

Thailand has rejected mediation efforts from third countries to end the ongoing conflict with Cambodia and considers that the situation can be resolved only through bilateral talks, the Thai foreign minister said today. Panu Wongcha-um reports for Reuters.

The International Criminal Court judges yesterday convicted two men of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to their leadership of Christian-dominated militias in a campaign of violence against Muslims in the Central African Republic in 2013 and 2014. Reuters reports.

U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The White House will allow Chevron to pump oil in Venezuela, sources say, adding that while the details of the agreement are still unclear, the reversal in the White House’s policy toward Caracas follows last week’s prisoner swap and recent discussions involving Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Alex Leary, Vera Bergengruen, and Kejal Vyas report for the Wall Street Journal.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) yesterday cast the tiebreaking vote to advance Mike Waltz’s nomination for the post of the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., stating that in exchange for her vote, she was given an assurance that the administration would release $75 million in frozen aid funds for Haiti and Nigeria. Hans Nichols reports for Axios.

The United States yesterday lifted its sanctions designations on several allies of Myanmar’s ruling generals, two weeks after the head of the ruling junta praised Trump and called for the sanctions to be eased. The Treasury Department did not explain the reason for the move. David Brunnstrom reports for Reuters.

The United States has ignored Brazil’s attempts to negotiate the 50% tariff on Brazilian imports that Trump has threatened to impose, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said yesterday. AP News reports.

Nearly every EU country, save for Hungary, yesterday voted in favour of a plan for the EU to retaliate against U.S. tariffs if a trade deal is not agreed. Liz Alderman reports for the New York Times.

U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS

The Supreme Court yesterday paused an appeals court ruling that would sharply curtail the Voting Rights Act by limiting who can sue to enforce protections against racial discrimination. Three of the court’s conservative justices, Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch, said they would have allowed the ruling to go into effect. Abbie VanSickle reports for the New York Times.

Lt. Col. Michael Schrama on Wednesday became the fifth judge to oversee the long-running terrorism case against men suspected of orchestrating the 9/11 attacks detained at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Carol Rosenberg reports for the New York Times.

A district judge yesterday sentenced an Arizona woman to more than eight years in prison for helping North Korean workers obtain remote jobs at U.S. companies using false identities in a scheme that generated more than $17 million, mostly for Pyongyang. Frances Vinall reports for the Washington Post.

The Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday voted along party lines to proceed with Jeanine Pirro’s nomination to be the top federal prosecutor in the D.C. Hailey Fuchs reports for POLITICO.

The Senate yesterday voted 50-48 to advance Emil Bove’s nomination to a federal appellate court in a procedural vote, setting up a possible move to confirm him as early as next week. John Crawley reports for Bloomberg Law.

U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS

In the first action of its kind, a Venezuelan man yesterday filed an administrative complaint with the Homeland Security Department, seeking $1.3 million in monetary damages for what he contends was the federal employees’ wrongful removal of him to El Salvador’s CECOT prison without cause or due process. “I want to clear my name,” the man said, adding that “he is not a bad person” and has no connection to the Tren de Aragua gang. Jan Wolfe reports for Reuters; Jazmine Ulloa reports for the New York Times.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS

The White House is seeking payment of fines from Harvard, Cornell, Duke, Northwestern, and Brown universities in exchange for allowing them to access federal funding, a source says. According to a White House official, the demands mirror the $200 million deal the Trump administration struck with Columbia University over Columbia’s alleged failures to stop antisemitism on campus. Natalie Andrews, Douglas Belkin, and Sara Randazzo report for the Wall Street Journal.

The Federal Communications Commission yesterday announced it will allow Paramount to merge with the Hollywood studio Skydance after receiving assurances that the new company would be committed to unbiased journalism and would not establish programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. A Democratic FCC Commissioner, Anna Gomez, said that the agency had used “its vast power” to “further erode press freedom” and impose “never-before-seen controls over newsroom decisions and editorial judgment.” Benjamin Mullin reports for the New York Times.

Attorney General Pam Bondi yesterday named Trump’s former personal lawyer Alina Habba to the position of chief deputy in the New Jersey U.S. attorney’s office, hours after Habba resigned from her position as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor. Habba will now inherit the title of acting U.S. attorney in New Jersey, according to Justice Department officials and Habba. To carry out the move, Trump withdrew Habba’s nomination for U.S. Attorney due to a statute preventing a nominee from simultaneously holding the acting position. Jeremy Roebuck reports for the Washington Post.

Trump yesterday signed an executive order directing federal agencies to find ways to make it easier to forcibly hospitalize homeless people with mental illness and addiction for longer periods. David Ovalle reports for the Washington Post.

The Pentagon is suspending its participation in all think tanks and research events to ensure that it is “not lending its name and credibility to organizations, forums and events that run counter to the values of this administration,” according to an email seen by POLITICO yesterday. Jack Detsch reports.

The Internal Revenue Service is considering eliminating its multi-language services, according to records seen by the Washington Post and sources. The move would make it dramatically more difficult for non-English speakers to file their taxes. Jacob Bogage reports.

The U.S. Agriculture Department will move most of its D.C.-based employees out of the capital and spread them across five regional hubs, the agency announced yesterday. Linda Qiu reports for the New York Times.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

FEMA’s former Chief Operating Officer, Mary Comans, yesterday filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration claiming her being fired was illegal. In her filing, Comans argues that the administrative body designated to hear cases of workers seeking reinstatement, the Merit System Protections Board, has become so dysfunctional that it no longer provides an effective remedy. Eileen Sullivan reports for the New York Times.

Former Jan. 6 prosecutor Michael Gordon, press aide Patty Hartman, and Joseph Tirrell, who headed the DOJ’s Departmental Ethics Office, yesterday sued Attorney General Pam Bondi over their terminations from the Justice Department. Ryan J. Reilly reports for NBC News.The Justice Department yesterday sued New York City and its leaders over allegedly failing to fulfil its obligations to assist in federal immigration enforcement by operating as a sanctuary city. Shayna Jacobs reports for the Washington Post.

Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions

If you enjoy listening, Just Security’s analytic articles are also available in audio form on the justsecurity.org website.

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FEATURED IMAGE: WASHINGTON – JANUARY 23: Clouds move as the sun sets against the west front of the United States Capitol building January 23, 2007 in Washington, DC. U.S. President George W. Bush is scheduled to deliver his State of the Union speech before a joint meeting of Congress at 9:00 PM Eastern. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Australians are distressed by the images of children starving as a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza worsens, Foreign Minister Penny Wong says.

The comments followed a strongly-worded statement from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who said the situation in Gaza, where vision of emaciated children has become the norm as Israel denies aid to civilians, had “gone beyond the world’s worst fears”.

The escalation in rhetoric has added intrigue as to whether Australia will follow France’s lead in recognising Palestine.

Asked about Australia’s intentions for a UN General Assembly in September, Senator Wong would not rule out support for statehood.

“We all are distressed by the ongoing violence, the deaths of so many innocent civilians, the images of children starving, the humanitarian catastrophe that is worsening before our eyes, and we all want it to stop,” she told reporters in Sydney on Friday.

The prime minister earlier urged Israel to comply with its obligations under international law.

“Israel’s denial of aid and the killing of civilians, including children, seeking access to water and food cannot be defended or ignored,” he said.

“Every innocent life matters. Every Israeli. Every Palestinian.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the denial of aid and killing of civilians cannot be defended. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)

Mr Albanese stopped short of saying Australia would immediately join France in recognising Palestinian statehood after the European nation became the largest Western power to signal it would make the announcement.

Mr Albanese instead said recognising the “legitimate aspirations of Palestinian people for a state of their own” was a bipartisan position.

“Australia is committed to a future where both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples can live in peace and safety, within internationally recognised borders,” he said.

“Until that day, every effort must be made here and now to safeguard innocent life and end the suffering and starvation of the people of Gaza.”

Ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, a designated terrorist organisation, have collapsed after Israel and the US withdrew from talks.

A former US humanitarian official says the situation is Gaza is “purely a political famine”. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

With aid being throttled at the border and all entry points to Gaza controlled by Israel, former USAID official Jeremy Konyndyk said Australia and the other nations must do more as the situation in Gaza was “purely a political famine”.

“Nothing about this is natural or organic – it’s 100 per cent man-made,” the Refugees International president told ABC Radio.

“We are at – if not past – a tipping point.”

The Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which began operations in May, has been accused of obstructing operations by the United Nations and other aid groups, and putting starving Palestinians in danger.

Australia is being urged to join France in recognising Palestinian statehood. (Scott Barbour/AAP PHOTOS)

According to Mr Konyndyk, its aid packages were small and insufficient and the foundation’s facilities were located far from population centres.

“The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is a farce,” he said.

Israel, which began letting in only a trickle of supplies to Gaza in recent months, has previously blamed Hamas for disrupting food distribution and accused it of using stolen aid to fund its war effort.

While the coalition said it had “strong concerns” about the worsening humanitarian situation, opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said it was disappointing Mr Albanese’s statement did not place any blame on Hamas.

“Any moral outrage about the situation in Gaza should be directed at Hamas,” she said.

Israel has enforced a complete embargo on humanitarian aid and medical supplies for almost three months after a ceasefire deal broke down earlier in 2025.

The opposition says it is disappointing the prime minister’s statement placed no blame on Hamas. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

In recent months, more than 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid, many of them shot by the Israeli military, UN sources have found.

Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Gaza.

Its military campaign was launched after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking 251 hostages.

Mr Albanese also condemned the “terror and brutality” of Hamas and repeated calls for the release of the remaining hostages.

Canada, Australia and Britain have increased pressure on Israel over the starvation and the killing of civilians in Gaza, with Australia’s prime minister on Friday saying the situation has “gone beyond the world’s worst fears.”

Israel blocked aid deliveries to Gaza between March and May after it ended a cease-fire with Hamas. Since then, a private Israeli-backed group has run a system in which people go to a few sites in the Israeli-controlled areas of Gaza to receive aid. But hundreds of Palestinians have been killed at these locations, where Israeli soldiers have used live ammunition to contain unrest and disperse crowds of desperate people.

Aid groups have said that mass starvation is spreading in Gaza, and that the insecurity and Israeli restrictions have made food deliveries impossible. Haunting images of hollow-eyed, skeletal children have emerged in recent days from Gaza, where doctors say people are dying from hunger.

“Gaza is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe. Israel’s denial of aid and the killing of civilians, including children, seeking access to water and food cannot be defended or ignored,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia said in a statement. He called on Israel to immediately allow the United Nations and aid organizations to carry out their work safely.

A UN aid agency says 6,000 trucks carrying food and aid are waiting to enter Gaza, which is being ravaged by mass starvation, as Israel and the US pull their teams out of ceasefire talks in Qatar.

The path ahead for ceasefire negotiations is now unclear.

“While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith,” US envoy Steve Witkoff posted on X.

“We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.”

An Israeli official told Reuters that Hamas’s response to the most recent ceasefire proposal “does not allow for progress without a concession” by the group, but that Israel intended to continue discussions.

It came as the UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine warned one in five children in Gaza City was now malnourished, and cases were increasing daily.

Philippe Lazzarini, who heads the agency, said a colleague had described people in Gaza as “neither dead nor alive, they are walking corpses”.

“When child malnutrition surges, coping mechanisms fail, access to food & care disappears, famine silently begins to unfold,” he said.

In the last month, 48 people have died from starvation, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry has said.

More than 100 aid organisations and dozens of governments, including Australia’s, this week called for Israel to increase the flow of aid into the Palestinian enclave, as local health authorities warn of growing rates of malnourishment and starvation.

Mr Lazzarini said his organisation’s workers were themselves only surviving on one meal a day.

“Most children our teams are seeing are emaciated, weak and at risk of dying,” even though UNRWA had the equivalent of 6,000 trucks of aid waiting to enter Gaza, he said.

“Allow humanitarian partners to bring unrestricted [and] uninterrupted humanitarian assistance to Gaza.”

Aid organisations say vastly more aid is needed to properly feed Gaza’s two million residents. (Reuters: Ramadan Abed)

The Israeli government has defended its handling of humanitarian aid, accusing Hamas of stealing aid and arguing the distribution of food and medicine in a war zone is complex.

Israel has also previously accused UNRWA of harbouring Hamas fighters, an allegation it denies.

Hamas has denied it is looting aid supplies.

Israeli delegation leaves peace talks in Qatar

An Israeli team preparing to negotiate a potential ceasefire with Hamas left talks on Thursday, local time, leading the militant group to accuse Israel of “stalling” progress.

Amid growing global pressure for an end to the war, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced its team of mediators would return to Israel.

They had been negotiating with representatives for Hamas in Doha, but Mr Netanyahu’s office said they were returning for “further consultation” on Hamas’s response to ceasefire proposals.

‘Major starvation’ takes hold in Gaza Photo shows An emaciated teenage boy lying in a hospital bed with his mother by his side. In a ward of Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital, multiple children and some adults can be found emaciated from the lack of food. Doctors say the rate of death from starvation is rapidly rising.

Mr Witkofff said the latest response from Hamas “shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza”.

He said it was “a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way” and that the US is “resolute” in seeking an end to the war.

A senior Hamas source told Reuters that there was still a chance of reaching a Gaza ceasefire agreement but it would take a few days because of what he called Israeli stalling.

The source said Hamas’ response included requesting a clause that would prevent Israel from resuming the war if an agreement was not reached within the 60-day truce period.

A senior Israeli official was quoted by local media as saying the new text was something Israel could work with.

However, Israel’s Channel 12 said a rapid deal was not within reach, with gaps remaining between the two sides, including over where the Israeli military should withdraw to during any truce.

Mounting pressure

Israel is facing international and domestic pressure to find a way to end the war.

Numerous news organisations, including the ABC, have reported that journalists they rely on to report on events inside Gaza are struggling to find food.

The Israeli government has not allowed the ABC to enter Gaza and report from there directly.

There are limited places for Palestinians to collect aid in Gaza. (Reuters: Dawoud Abu Alkas)

The conflict began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.

In response, Israel’s campaign against Hamas has killed more than 59,000 people in Gaza, according to local health authorities.

Millions more people have been displaced, and at least 113 people have died of starvation since the conflict began.

One local doctor in Gaza City told the ABC earlier this week that deaths from starvation were beginning to increase.

Further strikes hit Gaza

Meanwhile, Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli forces had killed at least 40 people since dawn on Thursday, including six waiting for aid.

Israel’s military said Hamas militants targeted a food distribution site in the south of the territory on Wednesday.

The militants, though, claimed they had shelled “an enemy command and control site”.

Five of those killed on Thursday were in the central Gazan city of Deir al-Balah.

Through 21 months of fighting, both sides have clung to long-held positions, preventing two short-lived truces from being converted into a lasting ceasefire.

In Khan Younis, in the south, Umm al-Abd Nassar urged Hamas to secure a truce after her son was killed in an air strike on a camp for the displaced.

“They need to do something. Enough with this destruction and people dying,” she told AFP.

Eight Israeli soldiers injured in car-ramming attack

Meanwhile, eight Israeli soldiers were wounded when a driver deliberately rammed his car into a bus stop on Thursday, local time, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Police have described the incident as a “terror attack”.

“The soldiers were evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment and their families have been notified,” the IDF said in a statement.

The army said two soldiers were “moderately injured” and six “lightly injured” in the attack at the Beit Lid junction near Kfar Yona in central Israel.

“The soldiers were evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment and their families have been notified,” the IDF said.

ABC/wires