Starvation Crisis Deepens in Gaza as Medical Workers Detained, UK Ramps Up Aid
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, six additional deaths from famine and malnutrition, including two children, were recorded in the last 24 hours, bringing the official total to 133 starvation deaths since October 2023, with 87 of those being children, Anadolu Agency reported.
Other sources (including AP News) report up to 48 deaths in July alone, including at least 20 children, underscoring the rapidly deteriorating conditions under the ongoing Israeli blockade. Humanitarian organizations warn of “record rates of acute malnutrition” and rising famine risk among Gaza’s 2 million residents.
Human Rights Watch–referenced analysts and Healthcare Workers Watch confirm that over 400 Palestinian healthcare workers, including 28 doctors (8 senior specialists), have been detained by Israeli authorities since the war began in October 2023.
Twenty-one of the detained doctors have been held for more than 400 days without charges. Among the most recent detainees is Dr. Marwan al‑Hams, head of Rafah’s Abu Youssef al‑Najjar Hospital, seized outside a Red Cross field hospital; his whereabouts remain unknown.
On July 27, the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer revealed urgent relief measures: airdropping aid into Gaza and evacuating critically ill children in coordination with Jordan. He condemned the “utterly horrifying” mass starvation, called for Israel to enable secure aid corridors, and urged support for ceasefire negotiations. The Australian prime minister said that Israel is “quite clearly” breaching international law by withholding aid from civilians in Gaza, local broadcaster ABC reported on Sunday.
Anthony Albanese made the remarks during an interview on the ABC’s Insiders program, describing the scenes of devastation in Gaza as “completely indefensible.”
Despite Israeli claims that restrictions target Hamas, consistent reporting from the WHO and aid groups indicates humanitarian access remains deeply inadequate, with only dozens of aid trucks entering daily, far below the hundreds needed to alleviate malnutrition.
