Fifteen Palestinians die of starvation in Gaza’s deepening hunger crisis, medics say
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
No aid supplies left and staff starving in Gaza, says Norwegian Refugee Council
The Norwegian Refugee Council says its aid stocks are completely depleted in Gaza. The organization accused Israel of paralysing its work. The NRC says that for the last 145 days, it has not been able to get hundreds of truckloads of tents, water, sanitation, food and education materials into Gaza. Israel has denied accusations that it is preventing aid from reaching Gaza, and has accused Palestinian militant group Hamas of stealing food, which Hamas denies. An Israeli official told Reuters there is about a half a million liters of fuel that the U.N. has been given approval to bring in.
GENEVA, July 22 (Reuters) – The Norwegian Refugee Council told Reuters on Tuesday its aid stocks are completely depleted in Gaza, with some of its staff now starving, and the organization accused Israel of paralysing its work.
“Our last tent, our last food parcel, our last relief items have been distributed. There is nothing left,” Jan Egeland, the secretary general of the council told Reuters in an interview via video link from Oslo.
Sign up here.
The council’s comments echo those made earlier on Tuesday by the head of the Palestinian refugee agency, who said UNRWA’s staff were fainting on the job from hunger and exhaustion.
The NRC says that for the last 145 days, it has not been able to get hundreds of truckloads of tents, water, sanitation, food and education materials into Gaza.
COGAT, the Israeli military aid coordination agency, and Israeli authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It has denied accusations that it is preventing aid from reaching Gaza, and has accused Palestinian militant group Hamas of stealing food, which Hamas denies.
“Hundreds of truckloads have been sitting in warehouses or in Egypt or elsewhere, and costing our Western European donors a lot of money, but they are blocked from coming in… That’s why we are so angry. Because our job is to help,” Egeland said.
“Israel is not yielding. They just want to paralyse our work,” he added.
The NRC has 64 Palestinian and two international staff on the ground in Gaza. On Sunday the NRC had to move 33 of its staff out of Deir al Balah following Israeli evacuation warnings.
The NRC said its supplies of safe drinking water are also running out, due to dwindling supplies of fuel to run desalination plants. The water has reached 100,000 people in central and northern parts of Gaza in recent weeks
An Israeli official told Reuters there is about a half a million liters of fuel that the U.N. has been given approval to bring in.
“They’re bringing in fuel and collecting, but they can bring in and they can collect more, and we are having discussions with them,” the official said.
The official also said that there are about 700 trucks of unpacked aid on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing which have not been distributed.
Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; editing by Sharon Singleton and David Gregorio
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
Turkey says it will intervene against any attempt to divide Syria
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says Turkey will intervene to stop any attempt to fragment Syria. His warning against fragmentation appeared aimed at Israel as Turkey considers this to be Israel’s ultimate aim in Syria. Turkey has condemned Israeli strikes on Damascus last week as an attempt to sabotage Syria’s efforts to establish peace and security. Fidan said Israel wanted a divided Syria to make the country unstable, weaker and a liability to the region. He said groups in Syria should not see such chaos as a tactical opportunity to achieve autonomy or independence.
ANKARA, July 22 (Reuters) – Turkey will directly intervene to stop any attempt to fragment Syria and will prevent any attempts by militants to obtain autonomy after clashes in southern Syria , Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Tuesday.
His warning against fragmentation, in comments to reporters in Ankara, appeared aimed at Israel as Turkey considers this to be Israel’s ultimate aim in Syria.
Sign up here.
Turkey has condemned Israeli strikes on Damascus last week as an attempt to sabotage Syria’s efforts to establish peace and security, and sees clashes between Druze fighters and Syrian Bedouin tribes in the southern province of Sweida as part of an Israeli policy of regional destabilisation.
NATO member Turkey supports Syria’s new government and has called for a ceasefire between the Bedouin and Druze fighters.
Fidan said Israel wanted a divided Syria to make the country unstable, weaker and a liability to the region, and added that Kurdish YPG militants were looking to take advantage of the chaos.
“God willing, we will prevent this policy from being realised,” he said.
In an apparent reference to the YPG, he said groups in Syria should not see such chaos as a tactical opportunity to achieve autonomy or independence within Syria and that they faced “a big strategic catastrophe”.
“This leads nowhere,” he said.
Ankara sees the YPG, which spearheads the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, as a terrorist organisation, and has carried out several cross-border operations against them.
“We are warning you: no group should engage in acts towards division,” Fidan said.
He said many issues could be discussed via diplomacy “but if you go beyond this and seek fragmentation and destabilising we will consider this a direct threat to our security and intervene.”
Fidan said Turkey would support efforts to secure peace and stability in Syria, and talks on this, but would not let itself be exposed to threats.
Israel did not immediately comment on Fidan’s remarks. It said it struck targets in Syria last week to defend the Druze.
Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu, Writing by Huseyin Hayatsever; Editing by Ece Toksabay and Timothy Heritage
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
Fifteen Palestinians die of starvation in Gaza’s deepening hunger crisis, medics say
A six-week-old infant was among 15 people who have died of starvation in Gaza in the past 24 hours, local health officials said. Malnutrition is now killing Palestinians faster than at any point in the 21-month war. UNRWA staff fainting from hunger, hospitals overwhelmed by casualties from gunfire. Israeli military denies accusations it is preventing aid from reaching Gaza and has accused Palestinian militant group Hamas of stealing food, an allegation Hamas denies. The head of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency said on Tuesday that its staff, as well as doctors and humanitarian workers, were faints on duty in Gaza due to hunger and exhaustion.. The United States has said that an average of 146 aid trucks had entered Gaza over the course of the war and that the minimum of a minimum of 1,000 aid trucks a day had been delivered to Gaza. The Israeli military said that it “views the transfer of humanitarian aid into Gaza as a matter of utmost importance”, and works to facilitate its entry in coordination with the international community.
Israel denies blocking aid, accuses Hamas of stealing food
UNRWA staff fainting from hunger, hospitals overwhelmed by casualties
CAIRO/GAZA July 22 (Reuters) – A six-week-old infant was among 15 people who have died of starvation in Gaza in the past 24 hours, local health officials said, with malnutrition now killing Palestinians faster than at any point in the 21-month war
The infant died at a hospital ward in northern Gaza, the health officials said, naming him as Yousef al-Safadi. Three of the others were also children, including 13-year-old Abdulhamid al-Ghalban, who died in a hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. The other two children were not named.
Sign up here.
Palestinian health officials say at least 101 people have died of hunger during the conflict, including 80 children, with most of them in recent weeks.
Israel controls all aid supplies into the war-ravaged enclave, where most of the population has been displaced multiple times and faces acute shortages of basic necessities.
The head of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency said on Tuesday that its staff, as well as doctors and humanitarian workers, were fainting on duty in Gaza due to hunger and exhaustion.
“No one is spared: caretakers in Gaza are also in need of care. Doctors, nurses, journalists and humanitarians are hungry,” UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement.
There has been international condemnation of mass killings of civilians and dire shortages of aid in Gaza, but no action that has yet stopped the conflict, or significantly increased supplies.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday that images of civilians killed during the distribution of aid were “unbearable” and urged Israel to deliver on pledges to improve the situation, but did not say what action European countries would take.
Israel’s military said that it “views the transfer of humanitarian aid into Gaza as a matter of utmost importance”, and works to facilitate its entry in coordination with the international community.
It has denied accusations it is preventing aid from reaching Gaza and has accused Palestinian militant group Hamas of stealing food, an allegation Hamas denies.
FOOD AND MEDICINE SHORTAGES
“Hospitals are already overwhelmed by the number of casualties from gunfire. They can’t provide much more help for hunger-related symptoms because of food and medicine shortages,” said Khalil al-Deqran, a spokesperson for the health ministry.
Deqran said some 600,000 people were suffering from malnutrition, including at least 60,000 pregnant women. Symptoms among those going hungry include dehydration and anaemia, he said.
Item 1 of 2 Adham carries the body of his nephew, six-week-old infant Yousef al-Safadi, who died of starvation according to health officials, at Shifa hospital in Gaza City July 22, 2025. REUTERS/Khamis Al-Rifi [1/2] Adham carries the body of his nephew, six-week-old infant Yousef al-Safadi, who died of starvation according to health officials, at Shifa hospital in Gaza City July 22, 2025. REUTERS/Khamis Al-Rifi Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab
Baby formula in particular is in critically short supply, according to aid groups, doctors and residents.
Israel says its assault on Gaza aims to destroy Hamas, which waged the deadliest attack in Israel’s history on October 7, 2023, killing at least 1,200 Israelis including civilians, by its tallies.
Israeli bombs and gunfire have killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza since then, according to local health authorities.
Tank shelling killed another 16 people living in tents in Gaza City on Tuesday, as Israeli troops launched attacks across the strip, health officials said. The Israeli military said it wasn’t aware of any incident, or artillery in the area at that time.
The health ministry said at least 72 Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire and military strikes in the past 24 hours.
MORE TRUCKS NEEDED
Daily food gathering has become a deadly task for Gazans, with UNRWA estimating that more than 1,000 people have died while trying to receive food aid since May.
On Tuesday, men and boys lugged sacks of flour past destroyed buildings and tarpaulins in Gaza City, grabbing what food they could from aid warehouses.
“We haven’t eaten for five days,” said Mohammed Jundia. “Famine is killing people.”
Israeli military statistics showed on Tuesday that an average of 146 trucks of aid per day had entered Gaza over the course of the war. The United States has said a minimum of 600 trucks per day are needed to feed Gaza’s population.
Twenty-five Western countries, which have backed Israel’s war against Hamas, issued a statement on Monday condemning Israel over the “inhuman killing” of civilians in Gaza, but there was no indication that further action would be taken against Israel.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the Israeli military “must stop killing people at distribution points,” and that “all options” were on the table if Israel didn’t expand humanitarian access, but did not say what those options included.
The EU remains divided over how hard a line to take. Germany refrained from signing the statement, which Israel dismissed as “disconnected from reality”, saying Hamas was shooting civilians at aid distribution points. It provided no evidence for the claim.
Israel and Hamas are engaged in indirect talks in Doha aimed at reaching a 60-day truce and hostage deal, although there has been no sign of breakthrough.
Reporting by Nidal Al Mughrabi; additional reporting by Geert De Clercq; additional reporting, writing by John Davison; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Sharon Singleton
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
Share X
Link Purchase Licensing Rights
Four Gaza children starve to death in deepening hunger crisis, medics say
At least 101 people have died of hunger during the conflict, including 80 children, with most of them in recent weeks. In the past 24 hours, there have been 15 reported deaths. Israel controls all aid supplies into the war-ravaged enclave, where most of the population has been displaced multiple times and faces acute shortages of basic necessities. The head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency said on July 22 that its staff, as well as doctors and humanitarian workers, were fainting on duty in Gaza due to hunger and exhaustion. Israel’s military said that it “views the transfer of humanitarian aid into Gaza as a matter of utmost importance”, and works to facilitate its entry in coordination with the international community. Israel has denied accusations it is preventing aid from reaching Gaza and has accused Palestinian militant group Hamas of stealing food, an allegation Hamas denies. Israel says its assault on Gaza aims to destroy Hamas, which waged the deadliest attack in Israel’s history on Oct 7, 2023, killing at least 1,200 Israelis.
Palestinians gathering to receive food from a charity kitchen amid a hunger crisis in Gaza City on July 22, 2025.
– A six-week-old infant and three other children have died of starvation in Gaza in the past 24 hours, local health officials said, with malnutrition and starvation now killing Palestinians faster than at any point in the 21-month war.
The infant died at a hospital ward in northern Gaza, the health officials said, naming him as Yousef al-Safadi.
The teenager, 13-year-old Abdulhamid al-Ghalban, died in a hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. The other two were not named.
Palestinian health officials say at least 101 people have died of hunger during the conflict, including 80 children, with most of them in recent weeks.
In the past 24 hours, there have been 15 reported deaths.
Israel controls all aid supplies into the war-ravaged enclave, where most of the population has been displaced multiple times and faces acute shortages of basic necessities.
The head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency said on July 22 that its staff, as well as doctors and humanitarian workers, were fainting on duty in Gaza due to hunger and exhaustion.
“No one is spared – caretakers in Gaza are also in need of care. Doctors, nurses, journalists and humanitarians are hungry,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement.
Israel’s military said that it “views the transfer of humanitarian aid into Gaza as a matter of utmost importance”, and works to facilitate its entry in coordination with the international community.
It has denied accusations it is preventing aid from reaching Gaza and has accused Palestinian militant group Hamas of stealing food, an allegation Hamas denies.
Food and medicine shortages
“Hospitals are already overwhelmed by the number of casualties from gunfire. They can’t provide much more help for hunger-related symptoms because of food and medicine shortages,” said Mr Khalil al-Deqran, a spokesman for the Health Ministry.
Mr Deqran said some 600,000 people were suffering from malnutrition, including at least 60,000 pregnant women.
Symptoms among those going hungry include dehydration and anaemia, he said.
Baby formula is in critically short supply, according to aid groups, doctors and residents.
Israel says its assault on Gaza aims to destroy Hamas, which waged the deadliest attack in Israel’s history on Oct 7, 2023, killing at least 1,200 Israelis including civilians, by its tallies.
Israeli bombs and gunfire have killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza since then, according to local health authorities.
Tank shelling killed another 16 people living in tents in Gaza City on July 22, as Israeli troops launched attacks across the strip, health officials said.
The Israeli military said it was not aware of any incident, or artillery, in the area at that time.
The Health Ministry said at least 72 people were killed by Israeli gunfire and military strikes in the past 24 hours.
More trucks needed
Daily food gathering has become a deadly task for Gazans, with UNRWA estimating that more than 1,000 people have died while trying to receive food aid since May.
On July 22, men and boys lugged sacks of flour past destroyed buildings and tarpaulins in Gaza City, grabbing what food they could from aid warehouses.
“We haven’t eaten for five days,” said Mr Mohammed Jundia. “Famine is killing people.”
Israeli military statistics showed on July 22 that an average of 146 trucks of aid a day had entered Gaza over the course of the war.
The US has said a minimum of 600 trucks a day are needed to feed Gaza’s population.
Twenty-five Western countries, which have backed Israel’s war against Hamas, issued a statement on July 21 condemning Israel over the “inhuman killing” of civilians in Gaza, but there was no indication that further action would be taken against Israel.
The European Union remains divided over how hard a line to take, with Germany refraining from signing the statement.
In Britain, Foreign Minister David Lammy told Sky News that London would wait to see what happened in the coming weeks, and would consider other acts “if we do not see the ceasefire that we want to see”.
Israel and Hamas are engaged in indirect talks in Doha aimed at reaching a 60-day truce and hostage deal, although there has been no sign of breakthrough. REUTERS
Iranian foreign minister says Iran cannot give up on nuclear enrichment
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tells Fox News Tehran cannot give up on its uranium enrichment program. Iran’s nuclear facilities were severely damaged during the Israel-Iran war last month. Israel and Washington say Iran was close to enriching to levels that would allow it to quickly produce a nuclear weapon. Tehran says its enrichment program is for civilian purposes only and is open to talks with Washington but not direct “for the time being” The U.N. nuclear watchdog says it has “no credible indication” of an active, coordinated weapons program in Iran.
WASHINGTON, July 21 (Reuters) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Fox News that Tehran cannot give up on its uranium enrichment program which was severely damaged during the Israel-Iran war last month.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Prior to the war, Tehran and Washington held five rounds of nuclear talks mediated by Oman but could not agree on the extent to which Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium. Israel and Washington say Iran was close to enriching to levels that would allow it to quickly produce a nuclear weapon, while Tehran says its enrichment program is for civilian purposes only.
Sign up here.
KEY QUOTES
“It is stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe. But obviously we cannot give up (on) enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists. And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride,” the foreign minister told the Fox News show “Special Report with Bret Baier” on Monday.
The foreign minister said the damage to the nuclear facilities in Iran after U.S. and Israeli strikes was serious and was being evaluated further.
Araghchi also said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was in “good health” and that Tehran was open to talks with Washington but that those will not be direct “for the time being.”
CONTEXT
U.S. ally Israel attacked Iran on June 13 and the Middle Eastern rivals then engaged in an air war for 12 days in which Washington also bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities. A ceasefire was reached in late June.
Iran is a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty , while Israel is not. The U.N. nuclear watchdog says it has “no credible indication” of an active, coordinated weapons program in Iran. Tehran maintains its nuclear program is solely meant for civilian purposes.
Israel is the only Middle Eastern country believed to have nuclear weapons and said its war against Iran aimed to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons.
Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Jasper Ward in Washington; Editing by Franklin Paul, Stephen Coates and Himani Sarkar
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
Share X
Link Purchase Licensing Rights