• The Israeli blockade on Gaza, now in its second month, has caused severe shortages of food, medicine, and fuel, leading to a rapidly escalating humanitarian crisis.
• Aid organizations, including UNRWA and Anera, report that their food stockpiles are nearly depleted, with community kitchens struggling to provide meals for hundreds of thousands of Gazans who depend on them for survival.
• International bodies and humanitarian officials are urgently calling for the blockade to be lifted, warning of mass starvation and accusing Israel of collective punishment and potential war crimes.

The Gaza Strip is facing a dire humanitarian crisis due to the ongoing Israeli blockade, which began two months ago following the collapse of a ceasefire with Hamas. This blockade has severely restricted the entry of essential supplies, including food, medicine, and fuel, leading to widespread shortages and a rapidly deteriorating situation for the 2.1 million residents. Aid agencies are struggling to provide basic necessities, and the UN warns of imminent starvation. International pressure is mounting on Israel to lift the blockade and allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need.

• What: Israel's ongoing blockade of Gaza has severely restricted the entry of food, medicine, and fuel, leading to widespread shortages and a humanitarian crisis. Aid agencies are struggling to provide basic necessities, and the UN warns of imminent starvation. The blockade is part of a broader conflict between Israel and Hamas.
• Who: Key actors include the civilians of Gaza, particularly women and children; Israeli officials; Hamas; UN agencies like UNRWA and the World Food Programme; aid organizations like Anera; and international bodies calling for an end to the blockade.
• When: The blockade has been in effect for two months since the collapse of a ceasefire in March 2025. The overall conflict began in October 2023. The situation is described as worsening daily.
• Where: The crisis is centered in the Gaza Strip, specifically impacting areas like Beit Lahiya, Khan Younis, and al-Mawasi. Border crossings are also a key location, as they are blocked, preventing aid from entering Gaza.

The situation in Gaza is critical, with the Israeli blockade exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis. The blockade is justified by Israel as a means to pressure Hamas to release hostages, but humanitarian organizations argue that it constitutes collective punishment of the civilian population. The UN's warning of potential war crimes highlights the severity of the situation and the urgent need for international intervention. The looting of the UNRWA field office underscores the desperation of the Gazan people. The long-term impacts of malnutrition and lack of access to essential services will likely be severe, especially for children.

We are trying as much as possible to stretch our food since the crossings closed … We now eat just one or two meals a day. I divide the bread among my children just to curb their hunger. I try to eat less so there’s enough for them.

Aid, and the civilian lives it saves, should never be a bargaining chip. Blocking aid starves civilians. It leaves them without basic medical support. It strips them of dignity and hope. It inflicts a cruel collective punishment. Blocking aid kills.

I don't know what will happen if our supplies end. The feeling of having to stop this vital help to people would be so stressful and depressing to me and my staff. Please we just need to open the crossings again.

The Israeli blockade of Gaza has precipitated a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe, exacerbated by the recent escalation of violence and the deliberate obstruction of aid, leaving the population teetering on the brink of famine and societal collapse. The World Food Programme has exhausted its food supplies, and critical medical facilities, including Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, have been bombed, decimating the already strained healthcare system. International humanitarian law is being flagrantly violated, with over 400 aid workers and 1,300 healthcare workers killed since October 2023, making Gaza the deadliest place on Earth for humanitarians. The long-term consequences of this blockade extend beyond immediate suffering, with the destruction of infrastructure, a decimated economy, and the unraveling of the social fabric leading to widespread displacement, trauma, and a profound mental health crisis, particularly among children. Without a fundamental shift in policy, a commitment to unfettered humanitarian access, and a genuine effort to address the root causes of the conflict, Gaza faces a future of irreversible devastation and despair, marked by escalating violence, deepening poverty, and the erosion of basic human rights.