Doctors in Gaza report severe levels of hunger: AP
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Famine has been declared in Gaza, where severe malnutrition is spreading as doctors warn of rising child starvation and overwhelmed hospitals.
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Palestinian Amna Foujo mourns over the bodies of her two children, Abdullah, 10, and Awad Foujo, 13, who were killed along with others in overnight Israeli strikes, during their funeral outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on August 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mariam Dagga)
Hospitals across the Gaza Strip are overwhelmed with emaciated patients, including children and the wounded, as international experts officially declare famine in Gaza.
According to a report by the Associated Press (AP) on Saturday. Medical professionals on the ground reported severe levels of hunger, with the situation rapidly deteriorating under the weight of "Israel’s" ongoing blockade and military offensive.
Dr. Mohammed Adeel Khaleel, a spinal surgeon from Texas on his third volunteer mission in Gaza, arrived at Gaza City’s al-Ahli Hospital in early August. He recalled treating a 17-year-old who had been shot in both legs and a hand while trying to collect food from an aid distribution site.
The report also mentioned that the teenager, Khaleel, was severely malnourished, with ribs protruding beneath his bandaged wounds. "The level of hunger is really what’s heartbreaking… Now the level is just, it’s beyond imagination," said Khaleel, who volunteered independently through the World Health Organization.
Even flour unaffordable
The Gaza malnutrition crisis is evident in nearly every ward. At al-Shifa Hospital, 15-year-old Aya Sbeteh, injured in an airstrike, struggles to recover amid acute food shortages that have drastically reduced her weight. “All we have are grains like lentils, sometimes," said her father, Yousef Sbeteh, "Even flour is unaffordable."
According to the report, doctors warned that hunger is making injuries more lethal. Karam Akoumeh, a young patient at al-Shifa Hospital, was shot while collecting flour. His digestive system was severely damaged, and his condition worsened due to the absence of intravenous nutritional supplements. "I checked throughout all Gaza’s hospitals for it, but I have not found any," said his father, Atef Karam’s weight has dropped from 62 kg (136 lbs) to just 35 kg (77 lbs).
Dr. Mohammad Kuheil, director of nutrition at al-Shifa, confirmed that hospitals lack basic nutrients, “There are no protein sources, only plant-based protein from legumes. Meat, chicken, dairy, and fruit are unavailable."
All records indicate that child starvation in Gaza is spreading rapidly. MedGlobal, a US-based nonprofit organizing medical missions to Gaza, reported that one in every six children under five is suffering from acute malnutrition, while pregnant women are also facing life-threatening food shortages.
Israeli blockade accused of fueling famine
The declaration by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) on Friday confirms that famine conditions are now present in parts of Gaza, and the crisis is expected to spread without immediate intervention, according to AP. In the 24 hours following the announcement, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported eight additional deaths linked to malnutrition, bringing the war’s total to at least 281.
"Israel" has rejected the famine designation, calling it an "outright lie", pointing to recent measures to increase aid access following a partial easing of its blockade in May.
However, the United Nations and aid organizations say the limited aid allowed in is insufficient, citing extreme difficulty in reaching those most in need due to Israeli restrictions and the collapse of civil infrastructure. "Just the degree of weight loss, post-operative complications, and starvation that we’re seeing... It wouldn’t surprise me at all if it was called famine," said Dr. Khaleel.
The IPC's announcement marks the first time it has officially declared famine conditions in Gaza, warning that without a ceasefire and a surge of humanitarian aid, the crisis will engulf the entire territory.
MedGlobal’s report echoed these warnings, highlighting a catastrophic rise in severe malnutrition across four of Gaza’s five governorates. "All young children in Gaza are at risk of starving without intervention," the group stated.
Outside the hospitals, conditions remain dire. Dalia Shamali, displaced from al-Shujaiya, said her family eats just once a day. "We’re starving… There’s nothing left," she said. Even with modest reductions in food prices due to increased aid shipments, families say they still cannot afford the essentials.
The famine in Gaza is no longer a warning; it is a present and growing catastrophe. With the healthcare system collapsing under the weight of hunger and injury, and food access still severely restricted, the most vulnerable, children, the sick, and the displaced, continue to pay the highest price. Without an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access, the situation is expected to worsen in the coming weeks.
