The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to deteriorate amid escalating violence and severe shortages of food and medical supplies. The Hamas-run health ministry has reported that 11 more people have died from malnutrition, pushing the total malnutrition-related deaths to 212, including 98 children. This grim toll reflects the deepening food insecurity in Gaza, compounded by ongoing Israeli military operations.
Over the past 24 hours, at least 38 people have been killed and 491 injured due to Israeli military activity, according to the health ministry. These fatalities come as a looming deadline of October 7, 2025, approaches for the forced evacuation of Gaza City, a plan recently approved by the Israeli security cabinet. The plan aims to transfer the city’s estimated one million residents further south, with Gaza City the densely populated capital becoming the focus of a full military siege.
Israeli authorities have outlined five principles for ending the conflict, prominently including taking “security control of the territory.” However, the evacuation and military plans have sparked widespread condemnation from international humanitarian agencies, world leaders, and even some within Israel, including military officials and families of hostages held by Hamas.
The forced relocation threatens to worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza. Many residents, displaced multiple times by the war, are currently living in overcrowded and unsanitary tent camps, such as al-Mawasi in southern Gaza, which lacks adequate basic facilities. The UN’s humanitarian agency warns that aid shipments remain far below what is needed, with ongoing delays and restrictions at Israeli-controlled borders impeding vital deliveries.
Tragically, attempts by Palestinians to access food and aid continue to result in deaths. The health ministry reported 21 people killed while seeking aid in the last 24 hours alone. Since late May, over 1,300 Palestinians have died trying to reach food distribution points, mostly due to Israeli military action.
As the October deadline nears, fears rise of a deadly escalation, particularly if Israeli forces confront Hamas fighters reportedly holding about 20 hostages in Gaza City. The coming weeks may prove some of the most devastating in this prolonged and tragic conflict.
