The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has issued a stark warning, reporting an unprecedented surge in civilians, including children, women, and the elderly, arriving at emergency departments in critical condition due to extreme hunger and exhaustion.

According to the Ministry, hundreds of individuals are on the brink of death, their bodies severely emaciated after surpassing the limits of physical survival. “Emergency departments are witnessing an unprecedented influx of starving civilians of all ages, arriving in severe states of exhaustion and fatigue,” the Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

يا الله !! واحد من أصعب المشاهد على الإطلاق

رجل كبير في السن يسقط مُغمى عليه من شدة الجوع أثناء انتظاره للحصول على لقمة طعام

الوضع خرج عن السيطرة تماماً، نحن أمام كارثة تاريخيّة.. غير معروف حالة هذا الرجل الان pic.twitter.com/8ySPDppr2q

— MO (@Abu_Salah9) July 19, 2025

It cautioned that if the complete blockade on food and aid continues, many of those suffering from severe malnutrition could die within days, marking a catastrophic turning point in the humanitarian crisis.

The warning comes as "Israel’s" months-long siege continues to prevent adequate food and humanitarian relief from entering the Gaza Strip. UN agencies and health officials have repeatedly warned that famine is no longer a threat, but a reality for many in the enclave.

UNRWA urges immediate access to Gaza as lifesaving aid remains blocked

In a related context, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has issued an urgent call for the immediate lifting of "Israel’s" blockade on the Gaza Strip, warning that tens of thousands of lives remain at risk as food and vital humanitarian supplies remain trapped outside the besieged territory.

In a post on X, UNRWA revealed it currently holds enough food stockpiled to feed the entire population of Gaza for more than three months, but is still unable to distribute it due to restrictions imposed by "Israel".

UNRWA has enough food for the entire population of #Gaza for over three months stockpiled in warehouses–including this one in Al Arish, Egypt–awaiting entry.

The supplies are available. The systems are in place.

Open the gates, lift the siege, allow UNRWA to do its work and… pic.twitter.com/3e1bVbFnGv

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) July 19, 2025

“UNRWA has enough food for the entire population of Gaza for over three months stockpiled in warehouses—including this one in Al Arish, Egypt—awaiting entry,” the agency stated.

Despite having both the supplies and logistical capabilities in place, the agency stressed that access to Gaza remains firmly shut. UNRWA’s appeal was unequivocal, “Open the gates, lift the siege, allow UNRWA to do its work and help people in need—among them 1 million children.”

Manufactured humanitarian crisis

Since March 2, "Israel" has enforced a total humanitarian blockade on Gaza, cutting off food, medicine, fuel, and other essential aid to over 2 million Palestinians. According to Gaza's health authorities, nearly 60,000 people have been killed since the beginning of the war, the majority of them women and children.

Though "Israel" began permitting limited aid into Gaza in late May under mounting international pressure, UN agencies, including UNRWA, have been largely excluded from the distribution process. Instead, aid delivery has been handed over to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a controversial entity whose operations have come under criticism for poor coordination and lack of transparency.

This shift, humanitarian groups warn, has had deadly consequences. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed during chaotic aid distributions, with multiple incidents involving live fire from Israeli forces.

A plea to international community

UNRWA’s statement comes amid increasing warnings of famine, disease, and civil collapse in Gaza. International organizations, including the World Health Organization and UNICEF, have repeatedly described the enclave’s conditions as catastrophic and unsustainable.

Despite stockpiles of aid and international willingness to deliver it, political obstruction continues to prevent access. Humanitarian convoys are regularly delayed or denied entry at the Karem Abu Salem and Rafah crossings. Meanwhile, entire neighborhoods remain without food, clean water, or medical care.

HaShd: Israeli occupation seeking to fragment Gaza

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (HaShd) has accused the Israeli occupation of intentionally deepening humanitarian and social crises in the Gaza Strip through policies aimed at creating internal chaos, inciting civil conflict, and dismantling the fabric of Palestinian society.

In a statement on Sunday, the organization held Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for the catastrophic consequences of their "criminal, racist, and colonial" practices, which HaShd said amount to acts of genocide under international law.

“These policies are not accidental,” the statement reads. “They are part of a deliberate effort to fragment society and push Gaza toward internal collapse.”

HaShd called on the international community, United Nations bodies, humanitarian organizations, and free people across the globe to immediately act to halt the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The group demanded the unconditional opening of crossings, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and the protection of humanitarian workers.

It also urged a halt to what it described as the criminal US-Israeli aid mechanisms, which, it said, contribute to the suffering of Palestinian civilians.