Israel Faces Global Outcry Amid Mounting Hunger and Civilian Deaths in Gaza

 Two days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly announced an end to the siege of Gaza, the United Nations has reported that humanitarian aid remains largely blocked, raising concerns that the country’s promises are not translating into meaningful relief on the ground.

According to Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), only five aid trucks had reached Gaza by Tuesday afternoon. Even those supplies had not yet been authorised for distribution, leaving over 2 million Palestinians without access to life-saving food and medicine. “Even if 100 trucks are approved, that’s only a fifth of the pre-war daily average,” Laerke stated at a briefing in Geneva, underlining the scale of the humanitarian crisis.

Israeli officials later claimed that 93 trucks had entered Gaza on Tuesday but declined to confirm whether the contents had been cleared for actual delivery to civilians.

The sluggish and restricted aid flow follows Netanyahu’s announcement on Sunday night that Israel would ease the blockade in light of mounting global pressure and growing fears of famine. The Prime Minister acknowledged that a “starvation crisis” could irreparably damage Israel’s standing on the international stage.

However, the humanitarian situation remains dire, with widespread hunger worsening after nearly three months of near-total siege and ongoing Israeli air and ground operations. On Tuesday alone, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 85 Palestinians, including women and children sheltering in a school and family home, according to Gaza’s health ministry. UN Women reported this week that the total Palestinian death toll has now surpassed 53,000, including over 28,000 women and children.

Inside Israel, voices of dissent are becoming more vocal. Retired Major General and current opposition leader Yair Golan of the centre-left Democrats party sharply criticised the government’s military conduct and its global consequences. In an interview with Reshet Bet radio, Golan warned that Israel was turning into a global pariah. “A sane country doesn’t engage in fighting against civilians, doesn’t kill babies as a hobby and doesn’t set the expulsion of a population as a goal,” he said.

Netanyahu quickly condemned Golan’s comments, calling them “contemptible antisemitic blood libels against IDF soldiers and the state of Israel.” But Golan stood by his remarks during a subsequent press conference, arguing that while Israel's war began as a legitimate response to the October 7 attacks by Hamas—which killed 1,200 Israelis and led to 250 hostages—it has devolved into a morally indefensible campaign. He also called on the political left to speak out more forcefully.

While opposition to Netanyahu’s leadership has grown, especially over the failure to secure the return of hostages, there remains limited public outcry within Israel over Palestinian civilian casualties. Those who do protest face a heavy-handed crackdown under far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

On Monday, several anti-war activists were arrested near the Gaza border while holding photographs of Palestinian children killed in airstrikes. Among the detainees was Alon-Lee Green, co-director of the Palestinian-Israeli advocacy group Standing Together. The protesters were held overnight and placed under house arrest.

In a statement, Standing Together condemned the arrests, highlighting what it described as a “dangerous double standard.” The group noted that while peaceful demonstrators face prosecution, right-wing extremist settlers continue to act with impunity—illegally entering Gaza, attacking Palestinians in the West Bank, and staging pro-settlement events near the conflict zone.

Meanwhile, Israel has issued fresh evacuation orders for central Khan Younis, Gaza’s second-largest city, further displacing thousands who have already been forced to flee multiple times. No area in Gaza has been spared the effects of war, and humanitarian agencies warn that continued bombardment and aid restrictions may push the enclave into full-scale famine.

The international community, including top UN officials and humanitarian organisations, is urging Israel to follow through on its promises and ensure immediate, unimpeded access for humanitarian aid.

As conditions in Gaza deteriorate and political fault lines deepen within Israel, the question remains whether the Netanyahu government will take decisive action to avert further humanitarian catastrophe—or face increasing diplomatic isolation.