The situation in Gaza has reached a dire state, with civilians, medical personnel, and humanitarian workers reporting unprecedented levels of despair due to the prolonged Israeli military blockade. For seven weeks, this blockade has effectively severed the flow of essential aid into the Palestinian territory, plunging it into conditions of suffering that many say have not been seen since the onset of the current conflict.

Residents of Gaza grapple with urgent new evacuation orders, the relentless bombing of civilian infrastructurespecifically hospitalsand a critical shortage of food, fuel, and medical supplies. The humanitarian crisis has escalated to the point where basic necessities are dwindling to alarming levels.

On March 2, Israel unilaterally abandoned a two-month ceasefire that had been established with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. This decision marked a turning point in the conflict, leading to a significant reduction in crucial supplies to the region. Just weeks after the ceasefire ended, Israel resumed extensive bombings and redeployed ground troops that had been withdrawn during the truce.

In the wake of renewed hostilities, Israeli officials have repeatedly stated that humanitarian aid will not be allowed to enter Gaza until Hamas releases hostages taken during the October 7 attacks, which instigated the current escalation. The Israeli government has framed the continued blockade as a necessary security measure, firmly denying allegations that it is weaponizing starvationa claim that, if proven true, could constitute a war crime under international law.

The blockade has now reached its eighth week, making it the longest uninterrupted siege Gaza has faced in the 18-month conflict. This situation has drawn firm support from the United States, particularly during Donald Trump's presidency, leading many to believe that Israel can persist with the siege with minimal international repercussions.

As part of its ongoing military strategy, Israel is also advancing plans to seize Palestinian land to establish security buffer zones. This strategy has raised significant concerns that the Israeli government is aiming to maintain a military presence in Gaza indefinitely, potentially resulting in the permanent displacement of its residents.

Displaced residents like Hikmat al-Masri, a 44-year-old university lecturer from Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, express deep fears about famine overshadowing even the threat of airstrikes. Al-Masri shared his harrowing experience of having to sacrifice his own food share to feed his son during this time of extreme scarcity, stating, "It is the hunger that will kill mea slow death." The food supplies that had been hoarded during the previous ceasefire have now been exhausted, leading to desperate scenes as residents queue at charitable kitchens with empty pots and bowls.

According to a recent assessment by the World Health Organization, prices for goods in local markets have skyrocketed, with some items now costing 1,400% more than during the ceasefire. Approximately 420,000 people are reportedly displaced again due to fresh evacuation orders issued by Israeli authorities, complicating the already challenging task of measuring hunger and malnutrition levels in the territory. Oxfam estimates that a majority of children in Gaza are currently surviving on less than one meal a day.

As aid organizations struggle to operate under these extreme conditions, nearly 95% have suspended or reduced services due to ongoing airstrikes and the blockade. Since February, Israel has imposed stricter regulations on the entry of international staff into Gaza, resulting in significant shortages of even basic medical supplies, including painkillers.

Amande Bazerolle, the Gaza emergency coordinator for Mdecins Sans Frontires, described the bleak conditions in Gaza City, which is overcrowded with those fleeing Israeli military operations in the north. Many are forced to live on the streets or in makeshift tents within damaged buildings that are at risk of collapse. Bazerolle noted the dire lack of medical care available, stating, "At our burns clinic in Gaza City, we are refusing patients by 10 am, and we have to tell them to come back the next day, as we are triaging to make our drug supplies last as long as possible."

Meanwhile, Israeli military operations continue to intensify in northern Gaza and Rafah, the southernmost city in the strip, effectively isolating the territory from Egypt. Current United Nations reports indicate that approximately 70% of Gaza is now under Israeli evacuation orders or has been incorporated into expanding military buffer zones. The new security zone established in Rafah now accounts for one-fifth of the entire territory.

This ongoing land seizure effort is forcing the 2.3 million residents, along with humanitarian and medical initiatives, into increasingly smaller designated "humanitarian zones." In a tragic incident last week, an Israeli airstrike on al-Mawasi, the largest of these zones located on the southern Gaza coast, resulted in the death of 16 individuals.

As the operational space for aid workers continues to shrink, there are growing concerns that the rules of engagement for Israeli military operations have changed since the collapse of the ceasefire. Recent bombings of Nasser hospital in Khan Younis and al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City have raised alarm among humanitarian organizations. The Nasser hospital attack resulted in the deaths of two individuals, including members of an international medical team, while the al-Ahli strike caused significant destruction to the hospital's intensive care and surgical departments, although no casualties were reported there. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have justified these attacks by claiming they targeted Hamas command centers.

A senior aid official, who requested anonymity, emphasized the increasingly precarious situation for humanitarian workers in Gaza. They noted how the risk of airstrikes has intensified, citing that the evacuation radius has decreased dramatically over timefrom two kilometers to just 30 meters in some instances. The official expressed concern over the lack of adequate warning before strikes, with times ranging from none at all to just 20 minutes, which is insufficient for evacuating vulnerable patients. "Our exposure to risk is getting higher... We know the Israelis are trying to force us to work under their terms," the official stated.

In response to these serious allegations, the IDF contended that Hamas regularly operates within densely populated areas, and any strikes on military targets comply with international law, including the obligation to take feasible precautions. Questions regarding the delivery of humanitarian aid have been referred to the political leadership.

Israel has long accused Hamas of misappropriating a significant portion of the aid entering Gaza, claiming the group either retains the aid for its own use or sells it at inflated prices to desperate residents. Recently, Israeli media revealed that there are plans to bypass international organizations and establish an Israeli-controlled system for distributing humanitarian aid using private contractors. However, this initiative is still in its infancy, and no timeline for implementation has been set. In the meantime, humanitarian organizations warn that the crisis will only worsen.

While international mediators are striving to revive ceasefire negotiations, there is little indication that either side is prepared to make concessions on fundamental issues, such as the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Al-Masri expressed his fears for his familys future, saying, "When the blockade was imposed again and the war resumed, I felt terrified. I constantly think about my little son and how I can provide him with basic necessities. No one can imagine the level of suffering Death surrounds us from every direction."