UN warns over risk of famine while aid trickles into Gaza published at 18:57 British Summer Time
Palestinians are living through "the cruellest phase" of the war between Israel and Hamas, the UN secretary-general has warned today. An Israeli-enforced aid blockade on Gaza has partially eased, with about 130 aid lorries crossing into the territory in recent days. But one Gazan told the BBC earlier that the help they are seeing is just a "drop in the ocean" of what's needed. The UN estimates that at least 600 aid trucks are needed every day to start addressing Gaza's humanitarian crisis. An arm of the Israeli government, Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (Cogat), earlier said "there is no food shortage in Gaza at this time". Meanwhile, Israel's military operation continues. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, 60 people were killed and 185 wounded in Gaza in the 24 hours to midday today. The ministry adds that 53,822 people have now been killed since Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. This morning, the Israeli military reported having hit "over 75 targets" in the past day, insisting the war will continue to "defend its existence and security against enemies who seek its destruction".
Our live coverage of the conflict is pausing now - we'll be back if there's any breaking news to bring you. To read more on today's developments, we recommend
this piece from our Gaza correspondent Rushdi Abualouf and Alice Cuddy, our reporter in Jerusalem . "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," a panicked voice repeats before a loud explosion can be heard. Then the voice note ends. Khamis Elessi, a doctor in Gaza City, was updating me on the situation there when an Israeli bomb landed nearby. “I’m still in Gaza City. I’m volunteering at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital. The situation is beyond description. I can’t put it into words. Killing is rampant, the deaths of so many civilians, especially women and children while sleeping. It’s despicable. It’s unimaginable. It’s beyond description,” he says. Dr Elessi, a neurorehabilitation and pain medicine consultant, and a senior fellow of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at Oxford University, says: “Gaza City has been invaded and bombarded. It’s every minute. It’s non-stop… I describe Gaza City as being a pulverised city.” He says "so many patients are dying because of lack of medicine, so many patients are dying because of lack of follow-up”. As he goes on to tell me about how terrified the children are, the explosion sounds as a missile hits the remnants of a nearby building. He follows up to say a “huge, huge explosion” had "filled the sky with fumes and fire and ash everywhere” and “shook [the ground] like an earthquake”. Dr Elessi, who completed his medical training in several countries including Israel, adds: “I pray that everyone will be safe. I pray that peace will prevail for everyone - for Palestinians, for Israelis, for Americans, for British, for everyone, and that no more lives will be lost”. Guterres says the UN has the staff and networks needed to carry this out. He also says that 160,000 pallets, which is "enough to fill nearly 9,000 trucks", are ready and waiting.
