Israel’s decision to blockade all humanitarian aid into Gaza and resume large-scale bombing has left over 1 million children without access to basic necessities, according to United Nations officials and humanitarian organizations. The blockade, which has stalled life-saving supplies just outside the enclave, has resulted in widespread hunger, medical shortages, and collapsing infrastructure. Meanwhile, a fresh wave of Israeli airstrikes—carried out with the backing of the Trump administration—has shattered the fragile cease-fire, killing over 400 people in a single night. Human rights groups warn that these actions constitute grave violations of international law and could amount to war crimes.
For weeks, critical food, water, and medical supplies have been blocked from entering Gaza, leaving its 2.3 million residents—half of them children—without the essentials needed for survival. According to Edouard Beigbeder, regional director for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the latest blockade has left “1 million children… living without the very basics they need to survive—yet again.”
Beigbeder, who recently completed a four-day mission to Gaza, described how humanitarian assistance remains stalled just a short distance outside the territory. “Civilians’ essential needs must be met, and this requires facilitating the entry of lifesaving assistance whether or not there is a cease-fire in place,” he said. “Any further delays to the entry of aid risk further slowing or shuttering essential services and could fast-reverse the gains made for children during the cease-fire.”
One of the most pressing concerns is the lack of clean water. The blockade has shut down vital infrastructure, including the desalination plant in Khan Younis, which now operates at just 13% capacity. “Hundreds of thousands of people [are] deprived of drinkable water and sanitation services,” Beigbeder warned.
Medical shortages are also having devastating consequences, particularly for newborns and young children. “Approximately 4,000 newborns are currently unable to access essential lifesaving care due to the major impact on medical facilities in the Gaza Strip,” Beigbeder said. While UNICEF managed to deliver 30 continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines to treat premature infants with acute respiratory syndrome, it is not nearly enough. “Every day without these ventilators, lives are lost, especially among vulnerable, premature newborns in the northern Gaza Strip,” he added.
Food supplies have been severely depleted as well. Community kitchens that once fed tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians daily have drastically scaled back operations. “We had 80 pots every day that we were serving to people,” said Omar Abuhammad, a coordinator with the Heroic Hearts organization. “Now we’re working on about 20.” Before the blockade, his organization provided food for about 40,000 people daily in Deir el-Balah; now, they can only serve 10,000.
For Palestinian families already living on the brink of starvation, the impact has been catastrophic. Om Mahmoud, a displaced woman in Deir el-Balah, described her despair: “My children are crying at home from hunger and I have nothing to give them. I can’t afford to buy what we need. There’s simply no way to survive.”
Amid the blockade, Israel launched a new wave of heavy airstrikes across Gaza, killing over 400 people in a single night. The attacks marked the most intense bombardment since the cease-fire began in January. Hospitals, already overwhelmed after 15 months of continuous bombing, were unable to keep up with the influx of casualties. “In hospitals strained by 15 months of bombardment, piles of bodies in white plastic sheets smeared with blood could be seen stacked up as casualties were brought in,” Reuters reported.
The cease-fire had been part of a phased agreement between Israel and Hamas, but negotiations over the next stage had stalled. Israel, with Trump’s support, attempted to impose a new deal that Hamas rejected, citing the absence of a clear timeline for a permanent cease-fire. Instead of continuing negotiations, Israel imposed a total siege on Gaza, cutting off humanitarian aid and launching widespread attacks.
Netanyahu’s office justified the assault by claiming it was in response to Hamas’ “repeated refusal to release our hostages, as well as its rejection of all of the proposals it has received from U.S. Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and from the mediators.” Hamas, however, placed the blame on Israel, stating that it was “fully responsible for violating and overturning the agreement.”
The Trump administration played a direct role in supporting Israel’s escalation. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Israeli officials consulted with the U.S. before launching the strikes. “The Netanyahu government consulted with the Trump administration ahead of the latest Gaza bombardment,” Leavitt said, making clear that the White House endorsed Israel’s renewed offensive.
This follows Trump’s decision to approve a $7.4 billion sale of U.S. weapons to Israel, which rights groups warn will be used to commit further atrocities in Gaza. Sara Haghdoosti, executive director of the advocacy group Win Without War, condemned both Netanyahu and Trump’s roles in the conflict, stating, “From before his first day in office, President Trump has endorsed the Netanyahu government’s return to war.”
Haghdoosti also warned that the blockade and the resumption of bombing appear to be part of a larger plan to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza. “Both the blockade and the return to bombing appear designed to create conditions in which Palestinians can no longer live in the Gaza Strip,” she said. “We, and every person of conscience around the world, condemn this campaign of ethnic cleansing unequivocally.”
As starvation and mass casualties escalate, humanitarian organizations are calling for immediate action. UN officials and aid groups have demanded that Israel lift the blockade and restore humanitarian aid access to Gaza. Muhannad Hadi, humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, condemned the renewed Israeli airstrikes, saying, “People in Gaza have endured unimaginable suffering. An end to hostilities, sustained humanitarian assistance, release of the hostages, and the restoration of basic services and people’s livelihoods are the only way forward.”
The blockade has also cut off the Rafah border crossing into Egypt, preventing critically ill and injured Palestinians from leaving Gaza for medical treatment. “The Rafah crossing into Egypt has been shuttered amid the renewed Israeli strikes,” The New York Times reported, further deepening the crisis.
The situation has reached a breaking point, with international law experts warning that the Israeli government’s actions could constitute war crimes. Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation into the blockade and bombings, while European and Middle Eastern nations are pressuring Israel to allow aid to enter Gaza immediately.
As Gaza’s children face starvation, disease, and airstrikes, Israel continues to block desperately needed aid while intensifying its military campaign. With Trump’s backing, Netanyahu’s government has ignored international condemnation and escalated its attacks, leaving over 400 dead in a single night and pushing Gaza deeper into an unlivable humanitarian crisis.
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