Image source, Reuters

Almost a third of Gazans are "not eating for days", the United Nations food aid agency tells the AFP news agency.

The World Food Programme (WFP) adds the crisis has reached "new and astonishing levels of desperation".

This comes as the UN's Palestinian refugee agency (Unwra) says acute malnutrition in children under the age of five has "more than doubled since" March. The agency warns over half of its essential medicines are now "out of stock".

In a previous statement, the WFP warned 470,000 people in Gaza are expected to face catastrophic hunger between May and September this year, while the entire population faces "acute levels of food insecurity".

The WFP also said 71,000 children and more than 17,000 mothers will need urgent treatment for acute malnutrition.

Image source, Reuters

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has criticised the international community for "inaction" in its response to the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Speaking via video link, he says it is a "moral crisis that challenges the global conscience" in a statement to the Amnesty International global assembly.

He adds more than 1,000 Palestinians were killed while trying to access food since 27 May, according to UN records.

The world is "in a global battle for human dignity for human rights and justice," he says.

"I cannot explain the level of indifference and inaction we see by too many in the international community -- the lack of compassion, the lack of truth, the lack of humanity," he adds.

Lord Darroch, a former senior British diplomat, says that the UK recognising a Palestinian state would not necessarily improve the chances of a peace settlement in the Middle East.

Speaking after France said it would recognise a Palestinian state later this year, he told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme: "The problem is the day after you recognise.

"You will get jubilant scenes in Ramallah, on the West Bank and in Gaza, you will get a hostile and negative reaction from the United States, and you will certainly get condemnation by Prime Minister Netanyahu.

"What has changed on the ground the day after you have recognised Palestine? And how has that contributed to the - at the moment - non-existent peace process?

"My view has been you play this card when it is going to make a difference, and it is not going to make a difference if you do it now - but I have full respect for those who take a different view."

A cross-party group of MPs will publish a letter later today calling on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to recognise a Palestinian state, the BBC understands.

Starmer is coming under increasing pressure over the issue, after President Emmanuel Macron announced France will officially recognise a Palestinian state in September.

Labour and Lib Dem MPs on the foreign affairs committee urged Starmer to recognise Palestinian statehood in a report published today. Earlier this month, 60 MPs reportedly made the same call in a letter.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan added his voice to the call on Wednesday and reiterated his position in response to Macron's announcement.

The government's long-standing position has been to recognise a Palestinian state as part of a peace process for a two-state solution.

Cabinet minister Peter Kyle said earlier it would need to ensure sovereignty can be "exercised at the moment of attaining statehood".

Germany rules out Palestinian recognition - for nowpublished at 15:37 British Summer Time 25 July

15:37 BST 25 July

Damien McGuinness
Berlin correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

President Macron’s announcement that France would recognise a Palestinian state has added pressure on Germany to follow suit. 


But, on Friday, a German government spokesman ruled out recognition anytime soon. Berlin instead argues that this should be the final stage of a negotiated two-state solution.

Because of historical guilt for the Holocaust, German politicians usually avoid criticising Israel. 



Friedrich Merz has gone further than is usual for a German chancellor in condemning Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions in Gaza - describing the situation in Gaza as “unacceptable” and telling Netanyahu "explicitly that we do not share the Israeli government’s policy on Gaza".


But Merz appears reluctant to back up his words with action, ruling out sanctions or arms embargoes. The German government argues that such actions would undermine Berlin’s influence over Netanyahu.

The flaw in that argument is that German influence appears non-existent anyway.

Meanwhile the public mood has shifted in Germany - a country which traditionally sees support for Israel as non-negotiable.

Calls are increasing within Merz’s own government, and even within the diplomatic service, for Berlin to change course.

After the 7 October Hamas attacks, around 50% of Germans believed Israel’s actions in Gaza were justified. Today, just 12% believe that.

Smitha Mundasad
Health reporter

As we've just reported in an earlier post, malnutrition can have a devastating range of effects, particularly for children.

So, how can the condition be treated?

Humanitarian agencies tend to use something called ready-to-eat therapeutic food to help treat malnutrition. It is pre-packaged, doesn’t need refrigeration and can last a long time. Crucially it doesn’t rely on water to be made up – helping to reduce the risk of waterborne illness. It includes all the nutrients children need to grow and helps address deficiencies.

But in severe cases where people are so malnourished they no longer have an appetite or are unable to swallow for example, they need to stay in a hospital or clinic. They may need specially formulated nutrition and other treatment for infections or other potential complications. In some cases feeding someone too quickly or with the wrong food can be dangerous.

The answer then isn’t just getting food – it’s getting the right food - and having a functioning healthcare system to support this.

Smitha Mundasad
Health reporter

Image source, Reuters

Lack of access to food, clean water and healthcare is a toxic combination. Conflict, displacement, natural disasters and blockages of humanitarian aid can all lead to malnutrition.

When the body doesn’t get enough food or the right mix of nutrients it requires to function properly, or can’t absorb the food that is available - it can have a devastating range of effects.

Children under five, adolescents, pregnant or breastfeeding women, older people and those with chronic health conditions are all at risk. In particular, children tend to become undernourished faster than adults.

The immune system, for example, will stop working as well when food isn’t available, leaving malnourished people very vulnerable to common infections that would normally be a minor inconvenience.

A common cold or a bout of diarrhoea can kill a malnourished child. That’s why malnutrition is linked to almost half of all deaths in children under five.

The signs may seem obvious - weight loss for example. Added to that will be a lack of strength and energy. But then come issues that may be more hidden - anaemia can set in, leading to breathlessness.

For young children and babies malnutrition can lead to stunted growth. And in severe, acute cases as in Gaza, people’s faces, stomachs, and legs can swell, despite their bodies being painfully thin - a condition known as Kwashiorkor.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

During his remarks at the White House earlier, Donald Trump suggested the apparent breakdown of talks on Gaza is a result of Hamas being reluctant to release the remaining hostages.

"We're down to the last hostages," Trump said. He added that Hamas "knows what happens when they don't have any bargaining chips" and they would be left "with no protection".

Trump added that he has long believed that "those last 10 or 20 are going to be the toughest".

"They're going to have to fight," Trump said of Israel. "They're going to have to get them out of there."

As a reminder, a short while ago Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was "considering alternative options" to free the remaining hostages.

Image source, Reuters

Nine more people in Gaza have died of malnutrition in the last 24 hours, which brings the total number of deaths to 122, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

If you are just joining us, here's a quick recap of what's been happening today:

• Israel is expected to allow foreign aid drops into Gaza over the next few days - but humanitarian organisations have previously warned they don't get nearly enough supplies to people
• US President Donald Trump has said that Hamas does not want to make a deal to release hostages and agree a ceasefire
• Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is "considering alternative options" to bring hostages back from Gaza
• Earlier, a senior Hamas official insisted to the BBC that ceasefire talks have not collapsed

• Keir Starmer is due to speak to German and French leaders today after Emmanuel Macron said France would recognise a Palestinian state - a step the UK has not taken yet

Stay with as we continue to bring you the latest key lines and updates.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Image source, Getty Images

I'm currently at the White House, where President Donald Trump has just taken off on his helicopter, bound for nearby Joint Base Andrews and then to Scotland for the next several days.

Before leaving, Trump came and answered questions from reporters on a number of topics - including Gaza.

In his remarks, the US president briefly addressed the breakdown of ceasefire negotiations in Qatar, saying that Hamas "did not want a deal" and "want to die" and that "Israel needs to finish it".

He adds that he believes Hamas will "be hunted down".

Additionally, he downplayed the importance of France's decision to recognise a Palestinian state.

"That statement doesn't carry weight," he says, adding that Macron is a "good guy" and a "team player".

Image source, Getty Images

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is "considering alternative options" to bring hostages home from Gaza.

The latest round of ceasefire negotiations appeared to have broken down on Thursday when US envoy Steve Witkoff announced the US delegation would be leaving Qatar, and accused Hamas of not "acting in good faith".

In a social media post, Netanyahu agreed and says Witkoff "got it right".

"Hamas is the obstacle to a hostage release deal," he says, adding that "together with our US allies", Israel is looking at "alternative options" to secure the return of the hostages, as well as ending "Hamas's terror rule" and securing "lasting peace" for the region.

As a reminder, Hamas has denied that ceasefire talks have collapsed, calling Witkoff's comments "negative toward the movement's position".

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

As we've been reporting, Israel has said it could allow foreign countries to airdrop aid into Gaza, where local health officials are reporting increasing numbers of deaths from starvation.

When such airdrops happened in 2024 after the UN said Gaza's population was on the brink of famine, humanitarian organisations said this method of delivery could not meet the soaring needs.

The BBC travelled on an RAF plane dropping 10 tonnes of food and water into Gaza - less than a single truck would carry across a border on the ground.

The airdrops have also had unintended - and sometimes deadly - consequences. Some airdropped crates were blown over the sea as they parachuted down, and Palestinians drowned trying to get to them. Other people were killed or injured by crates falling from the sky when parachutes failed.

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says that nine people have died of malnutrition in the past 24 hours.

A total of 122 people, including 83 children, have died because of a lack of food since the war began, according to the ministry

More now on potential airdrops of aid into Gaza.

Israeli army radio is reporting that foreign countries could carry out airdrops in the coming days.

The Times of Israel says that Jordan and the UAE will conduct this latest round of airdrops, though the BBC has not confirmed this.

Last year, countries including the UK, US and Jordan dropped supplies into Gaza from military planes - but that led to problems like aid falling into the sea and people drowning while trying to recover it.

An Israeli security official says airdrops of aid into Gaza could be allowed in the coming days.

Some countries carried out airdrops last spring but aid agencies have previously warned it is an inefficient way to get supplies into Gaza.

We'll have more detail on this shortly.

Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

Image source, EPA

Three trusted freelance Palestinian journalists whom the BBC relies on for its Gaza coverage have shared how they are now struggling to feed their families and often go two days or more without eating.

It's after the BBC released a joint statement with other media organisations saying it is "desperately concerned" about the wellbeing of local freelance journalists that it works with in Gaza.

"I feel tired and exhausted all the time, to the point of dizziness and falling to the ground," says a veteran journalist who now works with us in Gaza City and is looking after his mother, sisters, and five children aged two to 16.

Meanwhile a cameraman in southern Gaza tells us: "My stomach twists in knots, and I have a headache, add to that being emaciated and weak. I used to work from 07:00 until 22:00 but now I can barely do one story. I just feel dizzy."

One colleague says his autistic son is unaware of what is going on around him.

"In recent days, he's so hungry that he's started hitting his stomach with his hand to signal to us that he wants food," he explains.

• For more on how Israel prevents international journalists from entering Gaza, take a look at our news story

Mosab, a 14-year-old Palestinian boy injured in an Israeli airstrike near his home last month, is deteriorating due to a lack of food and medicine, BBC News Arabic reports.

His mother, Shahenaz Al Debs, says he weighed 40kg (6.3 stone) before the injury, and now weighs "barely" 10kg (1.5 stone).

"We cry out a hundred thousand times, I died a thousand times a day," she says.

The medical director at Gaza's al-Shifa hospital, Dr Hassan al-Shaer, says the number of people suffering malnutrition is increasing.

"It was initially limited to children, but now we are seeing cases of malnutrition across all age groups," he says, adding treatment is difficult because they "lack all the necessary supplies".

Rushdi Abualouf
Gaza correspondent, reporting from Istanbul

A senior Hamas official tells the BBC that mediators had informed the group negotiations have not collapsed, despite recent remarks by US envoy Steve Witkoff and the withdrawal of both Israeli and American delegations from the ongoing talks.

According to the official, mediators conveyed that the Israeli delegation is expected to return to Doha next week, though no specific date has been set.

Hamas expressed surprise at Witkoff’s statements, describing them as “negative toward the movement’s position”.

Hamas said in a statement: "The movement affirms its commitment to completing the negotiations and engaging in them in a way that contributes to overcoming obstacles and reaching a permanent ceasefire agreement."

Two versions of reality as Israel and UN clash over Gaza foodpublished at 11:41 British Summer Time 25 July

11:41 BST 25 July

Jeremy Bowen
International editor

This is not the end of the talking — there will be more. But it's probably a tactic being used to put pressure on Hamas.

That would be to counter the idea that the growing global awareness of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza — particularly among many Western countries, including some of Israel’s allies — has encouraged Hamas to take a harder line in talks.

There are two versions of reality - one pushed by Israel (backed by the US) and the other coming from Europe and the UN and its agencies. Israel insists there is plenty of food in Gaza. The opposite view - backed by strong, clear evidence - is that restrictions imposed by Israel are stopping vital food and other essentials reaching civilians.

But regardless of where you stand in that debate, the fact remains: the food is not reaching the people who need it.

There is overwhelming and indisputable evidence of a humanitarian catastrophe. Starvation is widespread. People are dying from hunger. Our BBC freelancers in Gaza are feeling it too. One said he fainted when filming because of hunger.

Emir Nader
Reporting from Jerusalem

"We know that we might get injured or killed at any time, yet we still go there to get a kilo of flour."

Mohammed al-Qedra, one of many patients brought to a field hospital in southern Gaza, is telling the BBC about the dangers present for Palestinians seeking aid.

He says he was shot in the hand and leg while trying to get food for his family at a nearby aid distribution centre run by the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

"I was pleading for someone to carry me and take me to hospital. A good Samaritan brought me here," he recalls in an interview with a freelance journalist working for the BBC.

Mohammed is aware of the risks, but says as soon as he leaves hospital he will return to the GHF site, explaining: "I'm the sole breadwinner for the whole family".