Severe malnutrition among children under five has surged dramatically in Gaza City, with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reporting a tripling of cases at its clinic in just two weeks. The humanitarian organization says the total number of malnutrition patients at its facilities has quadrupled since May, attributing the worsening crisis to what it calls “Israel’s policy of starvation.”

The group, which operates with more than 1,000 staff in the besieged enclave, reports that one in four children, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women screened at its clinics last week, showed signs of malnutrition. “Israeli authorities’ deliberate use of starvation as a weapon in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels,” MSF said Friday, stressing that even healthcare workers and patients are now struggling to survive.

Global alarm as aid remains restricted

The World Food Programme (WFP) echoed the alarm, warning that hunger in Gaza has reached “new and astonishing levels of desperation.” In a statement issued Friday, the agency said nearly one in three Gazans is going days without food. “Malnutrition is surging, with 90,000 women and children in urgent need of treatment,” the WFP noted.

Gazan obstetrician Naji al-Qurashali cast doubt on official statistics, estimating that half the pregnant women he treats are malnourished. “The malnutrition situation is unimaginable,” he said. Qurashali, who is often forced to work with expired medications and unsanitary gloves, described rising miscarriage rates and a surge in premature, underweight, or disfigured babies as evidence of the deepening crisis. “Many times, I leave the hospital running, because I can’t bear the fact that I can’t meet even the simplest needs of these women,” he added.

At least 122 Palestinians have died from starvation, with nine new deaths recorded in just 24 hours, Gaza health officials report.

Mounting political pressure

The United Nations and European leaders are increasingly voicing outrage over the humanitarian catastrophe. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday accused the global community of moral failure. “This is not just a humanitarian crisis. It is a moral crisis that challenges the global conscience,” he said.

Leaders of the UK, France, and Germany jointly urged "Israel" to lift aid restrictions. French President Emmanuel Macron went further, pledging to formally recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. In Britain, pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to follow suit, with over 100 MPs signing a letter demanding recognition.

However, US President Donald Trump dismissed Macron’s announcement. “He’s a very good guy. I like him, but that statement doesn’t carry weight,” Trump said at the White House. “It’s not going to change anything.”

Aid groups: Famine threshold crossed

The International Crisis Group issued a dire warning Friday, saying Gaza is sliding toward mass starvation due to what it described as "Israel’s draconian restrictions" on both humanitarian and commercial deliveries since March. 

“Israel must end its siege immediately. Every truck matters. Every calorie counts,” the organization said, adding that without a ceasefire, humanitarian efforts alone will remain insufficient. It also criticized the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) as ineffective, noting that more than 1,000 people have been killed while trying to access aid through its sites since May.

UN screenings of 15,000 children in July revealed that over 16% are acutely malnourished, exceeding the UN’s official threshold for declaring famine.

“The machinery of death must be stopped, not merely slowed,” the group concluded.

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