Israel has started to open channels to allow more food into the Gaza Strip, where thousands of people are at risk of starvation, according to the WHO.
Young Gazans wait to receive food in Gaza./ WHO
The Christian Mission to Gaza, led by the Baptist church in the city, is providing hot meals to those in areas they can reach amid the extreme danger and need they are experiencing due to the war between Israel and Hamas.
Baptist Press reported that, during the weekend of 25–27 July, the mission served around 2,000 meals, according to pastor Hanna Massad, who is currently in the United States but maintains direct contact with Christians in Gaza.
According to a press release issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 27 July, at least 63 people died of starvation in the Gaza Strip this month.
These included 25 children and 38 adults, 24 of whom were under five years old. The WHO stated that the bodies of the deceased showed “clear signs of severe wasting”.
In the first two weeks of July alone, over 5,000 children under five sought outpatient treatment for malnutrition, with nearly 20% suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
The WHO reported that June saw the highest number of children admitted for treatment since October 2023, with 6,500.
Food distribution has become a contentious issue, with allegations of attacks on civilians at distribution sites.
The WHO report says that Israeli attacks killed 1,060 people and injured 7,200 others at food distributions sites in Gaza since May 27, including friends of the Baptist church community.
Pastor Massad told the story of a friend, whose 40-year-old nephew “went to get a bag of flour to feed his family, and was shot, killed”.
The Israeli government began dropping food from the air on 27 July, and announced tactical pauses of 10 hours a day in attacks on three densely populated areas of Gaza to allow for food distribution, various media outlets report.
[photo_footer]Hanna Massad, leader of the Christian Mission to Gaza.[/photo_footer]
Two families now live in what remains of the Gaza Baptist Church's main building, explained Massad.
The number of church members has fallen to 60 due to persecution before the war between Israel and Hamas. It was also severely damaged by Israeli bombs in late 2023.
“We’ll need to see after the war what to do but we continue to minister to the Christian community”, pointed out the pastor.
On 28 July, US President Donald Trump recognised the famine crisis, pledging to send US food aid and urging Israel to ensure its distribution.
He also stressed that more than a dozen hostages continue to be held by Hamas, hindering the achievement of a definitive ceasefire agreement after the war that began with the attacks carried out by Hamas on 7 October 2023.
On 18 July, Israeli air strikes hit the Latin Church in Gaza, killing three Christians and injuring ten others, including a priest.
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