Over one hundred humanitarian organizations have issued a stark warning that “mass famine” is spreading throughout the Gaza Strip, reporting that even their own aid workers are suffering severely from food shortages.
In a statement, the 111 signatories, including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Save the Children, and Oxfam, declared: “our colleagues and those we assist are dying.” The statement further accused the Israeli government’s siege of starving Gaza’s population, forcing humanitarian staff into the same desperate queues for food and risking attack merely to feed their families.
The NGOs urgently demanded an “immediate and negotiated” ceasefire, the opening of all border crossings, and the unimpeded flow of aid through UN-led mechanisms. This call comes amid UN reports that Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians attempting to access food aid since late May. This period coincides with the start of operations by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has effectively sidelined the existing UN-coordinated aid system.
Israel maintains that humanitarian aid is authorized to enter Gaza and accuses Hamas of exploiting civilian suffering. These accusations include claims that Hamas steals food to sell at inflated prices and shoots at Palestinians waiting for aid.