— Andrew Fox (@Mr_Andrew_Fox) July 24, 2025
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A comprehensive look at the food situation in Gaza. Too long to reproduce in full, but, from the conclusion:
Hamas, of course, bears primary responsibility for all suffering in Gaza. Not only did it spark this war, but it also consistently prioritises its military agenda over the welfare of Gaza’s population, profiting from shortages and deliberately perpetuating the crisis. The international community, despite pouring in aid funds, has at times made political blunders, as demonstrated by the ill-timed ceasefire letter that has likely prolonged the fighting.
Is Gaza starving? Many Gazans are, tragically, suffering from starvation in the literal sense: children with swollen bellies, parents skipping meals for days. This should not be dismissed, but it is not because there is no food to be found; it is due to a collective failure to deliver the food to the people. The world’s media often presents it in the simplest terms (“Israel is starving people”). The reality is far more complex, a perfect storm of war, blockade, misrule by Hamas, and a paralysed aid system. Understanding this complexity is not about absolving any party of responsibility, but about recognising what needs to change.
What must change, first and foremost, is that the guns should fall silent, temporarily, to enable a full-scale humanitarian effort. A sustained ceasefire, even if unilateral, would enable food distribution to occur safely and provide negotiators with an opportunity to resolve the GHF-UN impasse. Unlike previous temporary ceasefires, at this stage, Israel, having greatly weakened Hamas, could afford to pause and use that goodwill to secure the remaining hostages’ release.
The UN and aid groups must demonstrate flexibility to ensure that aid reaches every family in need promptly. In the longer term, Gaza’s governance and reconstruction will require creative, likely unprecedented solutions, such as an empowered Palestinian Authority, an international mandate, or some hybrid arrangement. These debates are difficult, but they cannot be postponed indefinitely; otherwise, any Israeli victory on the battlefield will be pyrrhic. History shows that wars often end with new realities on the ground, sometimes including population movements or border changes, but any such outcomes here must centre on the return of the hostages and the welfare and wishes of Gaza’s people, not force them into another tragedy.
Currently, saving lives and reducing suffering are the top priorities. No child in Gaza should be dying of hunger when food is available just a few miles away, sitting on a pallet or locked in a warehouse. This is a solvable problem, provided there is political will. Gazans are not starving due to drought or fate; they are starving because humans, both their own leaders and the international community, have failed them. Whilst Israel has no legal obligation to provide aid that will be repurposed by their enemy, stepping up and ending the failure of others should be a moral duty.
Mick Hartley 
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