UN agencies warn of imminent famine and health system collapse in Gaza as Hamas announces aid deal with the US, and Israel’s blockade enters its 75th day.
The Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas announced on Thursday that recent understandings with the United States include provisions for the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave.
Meanwhile, the siege and starvation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are worsening, according to urgent warnings issued by UN agencies.
The World Food Programme (WFP) warned that Gaza’s humanitarian crisis is deteriorating rapidly, stating that families are “starving” while critical food supplies remain stuck at the border.
The latest data on food security shows that the situation has reached a critical threshold.
After 10 weeks of aid being blocked from entering Gaza, the entire population is at risk of famine.
Watch as @UNReliefChief tells the Security Council that life-saving assistance is waiting at border crossings, and humanitarians are desperate to deliver that aid. pic.twitter.com/rWpL5TPNot
— United Nations (@UN) May 15, 2025
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that “time is running out to save lives in the Gaza Strip,” highlighting a severe collapse of the health system, marked by acute shortages of medicine, medical supplies, and equipment.
For the 75th consecutive day, Israel has blocked the entry of food and medicine into the Strip, as part of what Palestinian groups describe as a war of extermination.
The war has intensified since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu withdrew from the ceasefire agreement reached in January.
Hamas: Aid Should Enter Immediately
In a statement on Thursday, Hamas confirmed that it had initiated the release of captive Israeli-American soldier Idan Alexander earlier this week “to alleviate the suffering of our people by halting the aggression and opening the crossings.”
The movement said it expects, based on understandings reached with the US and conveyed through mediators, that humanitarian aid will begin entering Gaza without delay.
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Hamas also emphasized its readiness to pursue a permanent ceasefire and comprehensive negotiations aimed at achieving long-term security and stability.
It warned, however, that failure to implement the agreed steps—particularly the delivery of aid—would jeopardize ongoing mediation efforts.
Mounting International Pressure
International calls to end the Israeli blockade on Gaza continue to grow. Switzerland became the latest country to express concern, with its Foreign Ministry warning of an imminent famine and calling for the immediate lifting of the blockade.
“Humanitarian assistance must be provided urgently, in accordance with international humanitarian law and established humanitarian principles,” the statement read. “Switzerland stands ready to support its partners in these efforts.”
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Israel has faced mounting global criticism for reportedly using starvation as a weapon of war.
On Wednesday, Doctors Without Borders accused Israeli authorities of deliberately engineering a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza by tying aid to the forced displacement of Palestinians.
Ongoing Genocide
Since Israel’s reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, it has killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip through a bloody and ongoing aerial bombardment.
On October 7, 2023, following a Palestinian Resistance operation in southern Israel, the Israeli military launched a genocidal war against the Palestinians, killing over 52,000, wounding more than 118,000, with over 14,000 still missing.
Despite habitual condemnation by many countries around the world of the Israeli genocide, little has been done to hold Israel accountable.
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Israel is currently under investigation for the crime of genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — are now officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
The Israeli genocide has been largely defended, supported, and financed by Washington and a few other Western powers.
(PC, AJA)
What is “imminent” about children are dying of starvation?