Gaza on the Brink: Famine Fears Spark International Outcry

Britain said on Tuesday it would recognize a Palestinian state unless Israel takes steps to alleviate suffering in Gaza, where starvation is spreading, and reaches a ceasefire in the nearly two-year war with Hamas.

The warning came after a hunger monitor reported that a worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding, requiring immediate action to prevent widespread deaths. Palestinian authorities confirmed that over 60,000 Palestinians have now been killed by Israel’s air and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.

These grim milestones in the conflict, which began almost two years ago with Hamas’s attack on Israel, underscore the devastating impact of the Israeli offensive that has flattened much of Gaza and ignited tensions across the Middle East.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification’s alert raised the possibility that Gaza’s man-made starvation crisis could be officially declared a famine, potentially increasing pressure on Israel to allow more food aid.

Britain’s warning intensifies pressure on Israel amid global outcry over its conduct of the war. France’s announcement that it would recognize Palestinian statehood further angered the Israeli government, which dismissed Britain’s statement as rewarding Hamas.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose image alt text reads “Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer (AFP-Yonhap)”, informed his Cabinet that Britain would follow suit at the UN General Assembly in September unless Israel takes substantial steps to end Gaza’s dire situation, agrees to a ceasefire, pledges not to annex the West Bank, and commits to a long-term peace process leading to a two-state solution.

This move, if implemented, would be largely symbolic, given Israel’s occupation of territories where Palestinians aim to establish their state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Israel appears increasingly isolated on the world stage as more countries demand it allow unrestricted aid into Gaza, where it controls all access points to the besieged coastal territory.

However, the Trump administration, Israel’s closest ally, has made it clear it has no immediate plans to recognize Palestinian statehood. Since returning to office, Trump has not clarified his stance on an eventual Palestinian state.

Trump stated that he and Starmer did not discuss Britain’s proposal to recognize a Palestinian state during their recent talks in Scotland, adding that he wouldn’t object if Britain proceeded.

As international outrage over Gaza’s plight grows, Israel announced measures to ease aid access. However, the UN World Food Program reported it still lacks the necessary permissions to deliver sufficient aid since Israel began humanitarian pauses on Sunday.

The IPC warned that widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are causing a surge in hunger-related deaths, with famine thresholds reached for food consumption across most of Gaza.

The organization plans to quickly conduct a formal analysis that could lead to classifying Gaza as being in a state of famine.

Gaza health authorities report an increasing number of hunger-related deaths, now totaling 147, including 88 children, most of which have occurred in recent weeks.

Images of emaciated Palestinian children have shocked the world, prompting the Trump administration to acknowledge widespread starvation and promise new food centers.

Israel denies pursuing a starvation policy. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar acknowledged Gaza’s difficult situation but claimed reports of starvation were false.

The casualty figures for Gaza, often cited by the UN and previously deemed reliable by the WHO, mark this as the deadliest conflict involving Israel since its establishment in 1948.

Israel’s offensive began after Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages—Israel’s deadliest day ever. Since launching ground operations in Gaza, Israel has lost 454 soldiers.

The Palestinian death toll does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Officials estimate that thousands more bodies remain under rubble, suggesting a significantly higher actual toll.

Overnight, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 30 Palestinians in central Gaza’s Nuseirat camp. Al-Awda Hospital reported that at least 14 women and 12 children were among the dead.

The hospital also reported 13 deaths and dozens wounded by Israeli gunfire along Salahudeen Road as people waited for aid trucks.

Saar claimed that 5,000 aid trucks had entered Gaza in the past two months and that Israel would assist with airdrops—a method that aid groups criticize as ineffective and tokenistic.

Ross Smith, a senior World Food Program adviser, told reporters, “We’re receiving only about 50% of our requested aid into Gaza since the humanitarian pauses began on Sunday.

We can’t meet the population’s needs without moving the necessary volume.” Israel and the U.S. accuse Hamas of aid theft—which the militants deny—and fault the UN for not preventing it. The UN says it lacks evidence of significant aid diversion by Hamas. Hamas accuses Israel of causing starvation and weaponizing aid. (Reuters)