According to the July 2025 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report, all 2.1 million residents of Gaza are facing acute food insecurity amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.
Emmanuel Macron, announced on X that France will recognize Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September.
BBC News, AFP, AP, and Reuters issued a joint statement expressing concern for their journalists in Gaza.
The conflict in Gaza escalated on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and abducting 251 hostages, according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement from October 2023. Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion, causing widespread destruction.
As of July 24, 2025, Gaza’s Ministry of Health reports 59,587 deaths and 143,498 injuries since the conflict began. A ceasefire in January 2025 allowed some residents to return home, but renewed hostilities since March 2025 have deepened the humanitarian crisis.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has worsened, with all 2.1 million residents facing acute food insecurity, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report from July 2025. Approximately 470,000 people, or 22% of the population, are in catastrophic hunger (IPC Phase 5), with a high risk of famine projected through September 2025, as stated in the same IPC report.
Since March 2, 2025, Israel imposed a near-total blockade on humanitarian aid, including food, fuel, and medical supplies, leading to severe shortages. Gaza’s Ministry of Health reports 113 deaths from malnutrition, including 82 children, as of July 23, 2025. The ministry also notes 900,000 children are going hungry, with 70,000 showing signs of malnutrition, according to their July 23, 2025, update.
Only 28 aid trucks enter Gaza daily, compared to 500 needed before the conflict, as reported by UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in July 2025.
In the West Bank, violence has surged, with over 4,000 injuries, including 800 children, reported since January 2024, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health’s July 2025 statement. Israeli military operations since January 2025 have caused the largest displacement in the region since 1967, with limited aid access exacerbating the crisis, per UN OCHA’s July 2025 report.
On July 24, 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron, announced on X that France will recognize Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, stating, “The urgent need today is to end the war in Gaza and to rescue the civilian population,”. He linked the starvation crisis to the need for a political solution, arguing that recognizing Palestine is essential for peace.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated on July 25, 2025 that, “The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible. While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen. We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe,”. He announced an emergency call with French and German leaders to discuss stopping the killing and ensuring aid delivery, urging Israel to allow unrestricted aid and supporting a ceasefire to facilitate a two-state solution.
Friedrich Merz, German Chancellor joined Starmer and Macron in a joint statement, calling for Israel to lift its food blockade, an immediate ceasefire, and the release of hostages held by Hamas, stating that the situation in Gaza is “unbearable” and reiterating Germany’s “urgent request to allow humanitarian aid to Gaza” without restrictions on July 25, 2025. He noted Germany has “no plans to recognise a Palestinian state in the short term.”
The urgent need today is to end the war in Gaza and to rescue the civilian populationFrench President Emmanuel Macron
The Israeli government and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have faced allegations of using starvation as a weapon of war, which they deny. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is reviewing a charge brought by South Africa in December 2023, alleging violations of international law.
On July 23, 2025, Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer stated, “In Gaza today there is no famine caused by Israel. There is a man-made shortage engineered by Hamas,” accusing Hamas of looting aid, according to the Israeli Government Press Office.
See Also:
The IDF, on July 24, 2025, stated it is “operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities” and follows international law, taking precautions to mitigate civilian harm, per an IDF Press Release.
COGAT, the Israeli agency overseeing aid into Gaza, claimed on July 24, 2025, that Israel imposes no limits on aid, a statement challenged by UN OCHA, the EU, and Oxfam in their July 2025 reports. Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, on July 25, 2025, stated Israel has no duty to alleviate hunger in Gaza and is seeking to expel its population, prompting criticism from opposition leader Yair Lapid, who called the remarks a “moral stain,”.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, on July 25, 2025, said it “might be justified and moral” to let 2 million Gazans starve until hostages are returned, but noted international pressure would prevent this, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on July 24, 2025, stated, “A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel,” condemning Macron’s recognition plan and accusing him of rewarding terrorism, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
Netanyahu has faced significant criticism from world leaders and organizations for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, particularly the blockade exacerbating starvation. On July 22, 2025, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the UN Security Council that Israel’s attacks on UN facilities and restrictions on aid delivery are “unacceptable,” urging Netanyahu to reopen border crossings.
French President Emmanuel Macron, on July 24, 2025, criticized Israel’s actions as contributing to a “catastrophic situation” in Gaza, linking the crisis to his decision to recognize Palestine. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, on July 25, 2025, condemned the “unspeakable and indefensible” humanitarian conditions under Netanyahu’s policies, calling for an immediate ceasefire.
See Also:
The ICJ, in a January 2024 interim ruling, ordered Israel to take measures to prevent acts within the scope of the Genocide Convention and allow humanitarian aid, noting that the military operations have led to “tens of thousands of deaths and injuries” and a “catastrophic humanitarian situation,” as stated in the ICJ’s press release. Human Rights Watch, on July 20, 2025, accused Netanyahu’s government of “deliberately obstructing aid,” citing the deaths of 113 people from malnutrition as evidence of a policy causing widespread harm, per their official report.
On July 20, 2025, the United States, through mediators Qatar and Egypt, attempted to negotiate a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, but the talks collapsed. The proposal included a temporary ceasefire and increased aid deliveries in exchange for the release of 40 hostages, but Hamas rejected it, demanding a permanent end to hostilities, which Israel refused, per Reuters report. No new talks are scheduled as of July 26, 2025, further delaying humanitarian relief efforts. US Special Envoy for Peace Missions, Steve Witkoff on July 24, 2025 posted on X that talks for ceasefire and hostages exchange in Doha have collapsed because Hamas is not ready for peace and is not acting in good faith.
On July 25, 2025, BBC News, Agence France-Presse (AFP), Associated Press (AP), and Reuters issued a joint statement expressing concern for their journalists in Gaza, noting that local reporters face starvation due to Israel’s blockade. The statement read, “We are deeply alarmed that the threat of starvation is now one of [the hardships journalists endure],” urging Israel to allow journalists to enter and exit Gaza and ensure adequate food supplies. AFP reported that their principal photographer, Bashar, lacked the strength to work due to hunger.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by the US and Israel, has distributed limited aid since May 27, 2025, but UN OCHA reports over 1,000 Palestinians killed while seeking food at GHF sites as of July 2025. The UN and humanitarian organizations, including UNRWA, demand unrestricted aid access and a ceasefire.
France’s plan to recognize Palestine in September 2025 has intensified diplomatic pressure, but leaders like Starmer and Merz remain cautious, balancing domestic and international pressures while prioritizing ceasefire efforts and aid delivery. [Rh/Eth/VS]
Also Read: