Major broadcasters and news agencies have said their journalists in Gaza face the “threat of starvation” amid a deepening hunger crisis in the war-torn enclave.
The BBC, Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse shared their fears in a joint statement which called on the Israeli authorities to allow journalists in and out of Gaza.
More than 100 people in Gaza have died due to hunger in recent weeks including 80 children, according to Palestinian health officials.
“We are desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families,” the joint statement read.
“For many months, these independent journalists have been the world's eyes and ears on the ground in Gaza. They are now facing the same dire circumstances as those they are covering.
"Journalists endure many deprivations and hardships in warzones. We are deeply alarmed that the threat of starvation is now one of them.
"We once again urge the Israeli authorities to allow journalists in and out of Gaza. It is essential that adequate food supplies reach the people there."
A total Israeli aid blockade in Spring was followed by months in which just a small trickle of aid was permitted into the ravaged enclave. Experts say Gaza is at risk of famine due to the aid blockages and an ongoing military offensive by the IDF.
The UN, which has repeatedly urged Israel to allow it to deliver huge amounts of food and resources to the starving population, says that what Israel is providing is a drop in the ocean of what is needed.
Palestinians have told The Independent that no one, including medics and journalists, is immune to the starvation crisis. Even those with relatively significant amounts of money have been priced out of the buying simple foods in the strip due to extortionate costs caused by lack of availability.
Israeli forces have also killed hundreds of Palestinians who were trying to reach the limited number of aid trucks which rolled into Gaza. The UN says the death toll of Palestinians who were trying to reach aid has surpassed 1,000.
This has drawn widespread condemnation, including from many of Israel’s own allies. But it has not yet prompted any significant responses, beyond strongly-worded statements, from some of its closest allies such as the US, UK, Germany and France.
On Wednesday, more than 100 organisations signed a letter calling for more aid to Gaza as it faces “mass starvation”.
The Israeli government insists it is not causing a famine, and that the “man-made shortage” of food is “engineered by Hamas”, according to spokesman David Mencer.
Mr Mencer said on Wednesday that more than 4,400 aid trucks entered Gaza from 19 July until Tuesday, containing food, flour and baby food.
"Hamas is trying to prevent the distribution of food. Where there is hunger in Gaza, it is hunger orchestrated by Hamas,” he added.
Violence has also continued in the West Bank, where Israeli troops killed two Palestinian boys, Ahmed Al-Salah, 15, and Mohammed Khaled Alian Issa, 17, according to Palestinian health officials. Israel says they were throwing Molotov cocktails at a highway.
Peace talks that have so far failed to produce a resolution to the war continued on Thursday as Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Rome to meet with senior Qatari and Israeli officials.
Israel said it received Hamas' latest ceasefire proposal, with an Israeli official calling it "workable," although no details were provided. Hamas confirmed in a statement early Thursday that it sent the proposal to mediators.
