Gaza Reporters & Civilians Face Starvation Amid Escalating War, Blockade/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Major news outlets warn their Gaza journalists are facing starvation as conditions in the enclave worsen under blockade and bombardment. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is set to host high-level talks on a potential ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. Meanwhile, Gaza’s death toll rises and malnutrition spreads, prompting international condemnation and calls for urgent humanitarian relief.
Gaza Crisis Quick Looks
- Major media warn of journalist starvation: AP, Reuters, AFP, and BBC report dire conditions
- Malnutrition deaths rising: 48 Palestinians died from hunger in July alone
- Ceasefire talks intensify: U.S. envoy Witkoff to meet Israeli negotiator Dermer in Italy
- “Workable” Hamas proposal submitted: Israeli officials cautiously optimistic
- Aid blockage worsens famine: Over 100,000 women and children face famine conditions
- Rocket lands near aid site: Militants strike close to Gaza distribution zone
- Indonesia slams West Bank annexation: Calls Israeli action illegal and urges UN response
- U.S. Jewish leaders demand settler violence probe: Say Israeli leadership enables extremist attacks
- Israeli teens killed in West Bank: Ongoing violence fuels tensions in occupied territory
- Humanitarian system strained: Israel, U.S. seek alternative to UN-led aid delivery
Deep Look: Gaza Journalists Starving, U.S. Pushes Ceasefire as Crisis Escalates
GAZA CITY — Leading global news organizations are raising alarms that their reporters in the Gaza Strip are now facing starvation, as the Israel-Hamas war continues to rage with no end in sight. The dire warning comes just as the United States intensifies diplomatic efforts to broker a temporary ceasefire and secure the release of hostages.
In a rare joint statement issued Thursday, The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and the BBC said their journalists are “increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families,” as Gaza’s humanitarian crisis spirals out of control.
“These independent journalists have been the world’s eyes and ears on the ground in Gaza,” the statement read. “They are now facing the same dire circumstances as those they are covering.”
The organizations urged Israel to allow journalists to enter and exit Gaza freely and demanded that humanitarian aid — especially food — be permitted into the territory without obstruction.
Malnutrition Crisis and Rising Death Toll
The warning came one day after over 100 humanitarian and human rights groups reported that Israel’s continuing military offensive and strict blockade are driving Gaza’s population toward mass starvation. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 48 people died from malnutrition in July alone — bringing the 2025 total to 59, and 113 since the war began.
Of those who have died from starvation since 2023, 81 were children, health officials said. The World Food Program estimates more than 100,000 women and children are at immediate risk of famine-level starvation.
A statement from the International Rescue Committee painted a grim picture of hospital admissions: children with collapsing immune systems, extreme weight loss, and near-death conditions. “Their lives are hanging by a thread,” said Scott Lea, the IRC’s acting director for the occupied Palestinian Territories.
Ceasefire Momentum Builds as Hamas Submits Proposal
Amid growing pressure to end the humanitarian disaster, Hamas submitted a new ceasefire proposal Thursday. An Israeli official, speaking anonymously, called the plan “workable,” although specifics were not made public.
The potential agreement, being brokered in part by the U.S., is believed to include:
- A 60-day ceasefire
- Release of 10 living hostages and remains of 18 others
- Increased humanitarian aid deliveries
- Phased negotiations toward a permanent truce
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet Israeli negotiator Ron Dermer in Italy on Thursday to review the proposal. Dermer’s participation signals the seriousness with which the Israeli government is treating this latest round of talks.
Israeli Military Expands Strikes, Rocket Threat Near Aid Site
While talks continue abroad, fighting on the ground has intensified. Israeli troops expanded operations in central Gaza, with five Palestinians killed in overnight strikes. Bodies were received by hospitals in Deir al-Balah, and two more civilians died from tank shelling.
The Israeli military also reported that a rocket fired from Khan Younis landed just 250 meters from a humanitarian aid distribution site in Rafah, run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli-American group.
Although no casualties were reported in the rocket incident, the location highlights the risk aid workers and civilians face as delivery systems remain politicized and contested.
Indonesia Condemns Israeli West Bank Moves
Outside the immediate warzone, diplomatic outrage is building. Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry condemned Israel’s symbolic parliamentary motion to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, calling it a “violation of international law.”
“This move constitutes an act of annexation, violating the principle of non-acquisition of territory by force,” the statement said, reaffirming support for a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.
Rising Tensions in West Bank and U.S. Jewish Community Response
As tensions rise in Gaza, violence in the occupied West Bank has also escalated. Two Palestinian teens — Ahmed Al-Salah, 15, and Mohammed Khaled Alian Issa, 17 — were shot dead by Israeli forces after allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails near a highway.
Meanwhile, several American Jewish organizations, including the Central Conference of American Rabbis and Union for Reform Judaism, issued a statement demanding a “full investigation” into settler violence — including the killing of Sayfollah Musallet, a Palestinian-American allegedly beaten to death by Israeli settlers.
The groups accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of tolerating — even encouraging — violence against Palestinians and urged Israel to act with transparency and accountability.
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