A humanitarian organization has raised alarms, stating that “thousands of individuals will perish” in Gaza if no action is taken, as aid workers describe horrifying scenes of starving, bloodied children and conflicts over water, two months into Israel’s complete aid blockade.
The humanitarian access manager for the Norwegian Refugee Council in Gaza, Gavin Kelleher, issued this grim warning, while other aid agencies urged for immediate international intervention as aid operations teeter on the brink of total collapse.
The United Nations along with the Red Cross has highlighted the desperate situation in the war-torn Palestinian territory, calling for urgent global action.
“The humanitarian response in Gaza is nearing complete collapse,” warned the International Committee of the Red Cross in a statement.
Israel exerts strict control over all international aid inflows vital for the 2.4 million Palestinians living in Gaza.
It suspended aid deliveries to Gaza on March 2, just days before a ceasefire collapsed that had significantly decreased hostilities after 15 months of conflict.
Since the blockade began, the United Nations has consistently warned of the impending humanitarian disaster, with famine looming once again.
The UN’s World Food Programme reported last week that it had distributed its “last remaining food supplies” to community kitchens.
“Food stocks have largely been depleted,” stated Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, during a video briefing from Gaza City.
“Community kitchens have begun to close down, leading to more individuals going hungry,” she detailed, highlighting reports of children and other vulnerable individuals facing starvation and malnutrition. “The blockade is lethal.”
Access to water is also “becoming increasingly impossible,” she warned.
“In fact, as I speak, just downstairs from this building, people are fighting for water. A water truck has just arrived, and individuals are killing each other over it,” she reported.
The situation has escalated to the point where a friend described witnessing “people burning … due to explosions, with no water available to save them.”
Simultaneously, Ms. Cherevko reported that “hospitals are running out of blood units as mass casualties continue to arrive.”
“Gaza lies in ruins; rubble lines the streets… Many nights, the chilling screams of the injured echo through the skies following the deafening sound of yet another explosion.”
She also condemned the widespread displacement, noting that nearly the entire population of Gaza has been forced to relocate multiple times prior to the brief ceasefire.
ICRC reported that civilians in Gaza face a daunting daily struggle to survive
Since hostilities resumed, “over 420,000 individuals have once again been forced to flee, many with only the clothes on their backs, shot at along the way, arriving in overcrowded shelters where they seek safety, even as tents and other facilities are bombed,” she explained.
Pascal Hundt, the ICRC’s deputy head of operations, echoed her concerns, stating that “civilians in Gaza are struggling daily to survive amid the dangers of hostilities, coping with constant displacement, and enduring the consequences of being deprived of urgent humanitarian assistance.”
The World Health Organization’s emergencies director, Mike Ryan, referred to the situation as an “abomination.”
“We are breaking the bodies and spirits of the children of Gaza. We are starving the children of Gaza,” he stated during a press briefing yesterday.
Ms. Cherevko criticized decision-makers who have “watched in silence the endless scenes of bloodied children, severed limbs, and grieving parents flash across their screens, month after month, after month.”
“How much more blood must be spilled before enough is enough?”
Activists report that Israeli drones targeted an aid boat heading to Gaza
In a separate incident, a ship carrying humanitarian aid and activists for Gaza was struck by drones while in international waters off Malta early this morning, according to its organizers, who confirmed that everyone on board was safe after a rescue operation.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an international non-governmental organization, released video footage showing a fire on one of its ships, named the Conscience, and accused Israel of involvement.
“Israeli ambassadors must be summoned to respond to violations of international law, including the ongoing blockade (of Gaza) and the attack on our civilian vessel in international waters,” it stated.
The Maltese government reported that maritime authorities received a mayday call from a vessel reporting a fire shortly after midnight local time.
The vessel was outside territorial waters and had 12 crew members and four civilians on board, according to government officials.
A nearby tugboat responded and initiated firefighting efforts while a Maltese patrol vessel was dispatched. After several hours, the vessel and its crew were secured; however, the crew chose not to board the tug.
In an earlier social media update regarding the incident, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition stated that the vessel was at risk of sinking with 30 international human rights activists aboard.
The coalition is advocating to end Israel’s blockade of Gaza. It noted that it had been organizing a non-violent action under a media blackout to prevent potential sabotage.
BREAKING: At 00:23 Maltese time, a #FreedomFlotilla ship was subjected to a drone attack. The front of the vessel was targeted twice, resulting in a fire and a breach in the hull. The ship is currently located in international waters near #Malta. An #SOS distress signal was sent. pic.twitter.com/J6oEQafuOb
— Freedom Flotilla Coalition (@GazaFFlotilla) May 2, 2025
“Volunteers from over 21 countries came to Malta to join the mission to Gaza, including prominent figures,” it added in a detailed statement on its website.
“On the morning of their scheduled departure, the vessel was attacked. Armed drones targeted the front of this unarmed civilian ship twice, causing a fire and a significant breach in the hull. The last communication early on May 2 indicated that the drones were still circling the vessel.”
Video footage taken in low light showed lights in the sky before the ship, accompanied by the sound of explosions, and also captured the vessel on fire.
People stand in long queues to receive food aid distributed by charitable organizations in northern Gaza City.
A previous “freedom flotilla” launched from southern Turkey in 2010 ended tragically when Israeli forces stormed the Mavi Marmara vessel, resulting in the deaths of ten and injuries to 28.
The Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which ignited the Gaza war, led to the deaths of 1,218 individuals, predominantly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official figures.
The health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza reported yesterday that at least 2,326 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes in March, bringing the cumulative death toll since the war began to 52,418.
