Gaza: Every day, thousands of Palestinians wait long hours for food at the last remaining delivery spot in the Tel al-Zaatar neighborhood of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. Obtaining food has become a daily struggle for many in Gaza, where most residents manage only one simple meal each day due to a stifling Israeli siege.
According to Anadolu Agency, since March 2, Israel has closed Gaza's crossings to food, medical, and humanitarian aid, worsening the humanitarian crisis in the enclave. Volunteers in Tel al-Zaatar work tirelessly to prepare soup in large pots, but the available food is insufficient to meet the needs of all, highlighting the severity of the crisis in the besieged territory.
Maria Awajeh, a 10-year-old Palestinian girl, waits for hours to receive a bowl of soup. "We eat one meal a day; there is no flour or food because of the closure of the borders," she told Anadolu. Her hope is for food and gas to enter Gaza and for the conflict to end. Meanwhile, Yaser Shaheen, a resident of the Jabalia camp, describes the daily struggle to obtain food. Despite food being available in markets, the exorbitant prices make it inaccessible for many. Shaheen arrives at the delivery spot every morning to secure a meal for his family, which survives on a single meal a day amid the famine.
The World Bank data indicates that nearly 2.4 million people in Gaza rely entirely on humanitarian aid. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reported that hundreds of thousands eat only once every two or three days due to the blockade. At least 57 Palestinians have died of starvation since October 2023, according to Gaza's government media office figures.
Mahmoud Sheihk, another Palestinian child, waits among the crowd for a meal. "I came to get one meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner because there is no food in our house," he said. Similarly, Umm Yasser al-Tatar waits for food to feed her 18 family members, expressing her despair over the starvation and her plea for a ceasefire.
Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine, voiced her sorrow over the conditions in Gaza, describing the Palestinians' plight as a global shame. The ongoing conflict has resulted in more than 52,600 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, since October 2023. In response to these atrocities, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.