Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Sunday that “no one in Gaza is starving,” asserting that Israel’s aid efforts prevent such a crisis. However, mounting evidence and witness accounts paint a dire picture, with the World Health Organization reporting 63 malnutrition-related deaths in Gaza this month, including 24 children under 5, a sharp rise from just 11 deaths in the prior six months. Gaza’s Health Ministry, deemed reliable by the UN, reported 82 deaths, with 14 in the past 24 hours alone.

President Donald Trump on Monday publicly contradicted Netanyahu, stating, “Those children look very hungry,” citing images of emaciated Gazans. The Patient’s Friends Hospital in northern Gaza noted unprecedented malnutrition deaths in children without preexisting conditions, while adults with illnesses like diabetes succumbed to starvation-exacerbated complications. Acute malnutrition has tripled in northern Gaza, affecting nearly one in five children under 5, and doubled elsewhere, overwhelming the region’s four malnutrition treatment centers.

Israel’s recent measures, including 10-hour humanitarian pauses and 48 airdrops over two days, have been criticized as inadequate. Palestinians like Hasan Al-Zalaan called airdrops “an insult,” with supplies often fought over or crushed. The UN insists trucks, carrying 19 tons each, are the best aid delivery method, but Israel’s military has blocked over half of UN truck movement requests in the past three months, with only 95,435 trucks entering since the war began—far below the needed 500-600 daily. Hungry crowds and gangs loot convoys, worsened by Israel’s targeting of Hamas-run police escorts.

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Israel blames Hamas for diverting aid, a claim the UN disputes, stating looting decreases with sufficient aid flow. Palestinians demand a return to the UN-led aid system, as witnesses report hundreds killed by Israeli forces while seeking food at distribution hubs.

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