More than 100 international human rights and humanitarian organizations have issued a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, warning that the region is descending into mass famine as a result of Israeli military policies.
The statement, signed by 111 organizations including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Save the Children, and Oxfam, accused of using hunger as a tool of genocide against the population in the besieged coastal strip. “Our colleagues and those we serve are wasting away rapidly,” the groups said, urging the opening of all land crossings and unhindered delivery of UN-led aid.
The aid groups emphasized that thousands of tons of relief supplies are sitting in warehouses both inside and outside Gaza but cannot reach civilians due to ongoing restrictions. They warned the world that Gaza’s population is trapped in a vicious cycle of hope and heartbreak, waking each day to deteriorating conditions, waiting for aid that rarely arrives.
“This is not only physical suffering — it is psychological torture,” the statement read. “Survival is being dangled like a mirage.” The groups stressed that the humanitarian system cannot operate on false promises, and that without immediate action, it will collapse.
The call comes as Gaza’s health ministry reports at least 15 starvation-related deaths in a single day, bringing the total to 101, including 80 children. UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the situation in Gaza as a “horrific scene” of destruction and famine. “Famine is knocking at every door,” he said during a Security Council debate on conflict resolution.
Guterres criticized ongoing Israeli military operations, particularly the recent displacement orders in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah region, calling them “layers of catastrophe.” Since October 7, 2023, Israeli strikes have killed at least 59,106 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured over 142,500 others, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).