Overview

• UN Secretary-General António Guterres has described the current stage of the Gaza conflict as the 'cruelest phase,' with widespread hunger and families deprived of basic necessities.
• Israel has recently allowed limited humanitarian aid into Gaza, but the UN reports that the deliveries are grossly inadequate, with hundreds of trucks needed daily to meet basic needs.
• The humanitarian crisis has escalated, with reports indicating that 93% of Gaza's children are at risk of severe malnutrition, and many are already succumbing to hunger and preventable diseases.
• Israeli military operations, including airstrikes and ground incursions, continue to cause significant civilian casualties, with over 53,800 deaths reported since the conflict began, though these figures cannot be independently verified.
• International criticism, including from close allies, is intensifying, with calls for an immediate ceasefire, unrestricted aid access, and a resolution to the hostage situation involving at least 20 individuals still held by Hamas.