• Israel announced a halt in military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and new aid corridors as Jordan and the United Arab Emirates airdropped supplies into the enclave. 

• Israel has been facing growing international criticism, which the government rejects, over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. 

• United Nations agencies welcomed Israel’s pledge to implement daily humanitarian pauses in its military operations in Gaza, aimed at easing the flow of desperately needed aid into and across the devastated enclave.

UN warns of ‘catastrophic hunger’ in Gaza

• Malnutrition is on a dangerous trajectory in the Gaza Strip, marked by a spike in deaths in July.

• The entire population of over two million people in Gaza is severely food insecure. One out of every three people has not eaten for days, and 80 per cent of all reported deaths by starvation are children.

• Despite recent deliveries, including 350 truckloads last week, aid workers continue to face extreme risks and logistical hurdles. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said it has enough food stockpiled or en route to feed Gaza’s 2.1 million residents for three months, but without a ceasefire and consistent access, the scale of need far outpaces current efforts.

• The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that malnutrition in Gaza is spiralling out of control, with a sharp rise in deaths — most of them in July.

• Of the 74 malnutrition-related deaths recorded this year, 63 occurred in July alone, including 24 children under five. Many died before reaching medical care, their bodies showing signs of severe wasting.

• Children are bearing the brunt. Over 5,000 children have already been treated for malnutrition in July, many with the most life-threatening form. But, Gaza’s four specialised treatment centers are overwhelmed, running low on fuel and supplies, and staffed by exhausted health workers.

• The crisis is also devastating pregnant and breastfeeding women, over 40 per cent of whom are now severely malnourished. 

• It is not only hunger that is killing people, but also the desperate search for food. Families are being forced to risk their lives for a handful of food, often under dangerous and chaotic conditions. Since May 27, more than 1,060 people have been killed and 7,200 injured while trying to access food. 

• WHO is calling for an immediate ceasefire and a sustained surge of diverse, nutritious food and medical supplies.

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