The head of the UN agency for Palestinians, Philippe Lazzarini, has reported that frontline staff are fainting from hunger as starvation spreads across Gaza and hopes for a ceasefire fade following the collapse of negotiations. At least 45 people have died of hunger in the past four days, with the UN and aid groups attributing the crisis to Israel's near-total blockade of aid into the territory.
Lazzarini warned that the deepening crisis is affecting everyone, including aid workers, and that the entire humanitarian system is collapsing. He stated that Unrwa has the equivalent of 6,000 loaded trucks of food and medical supplies waiting in Jordan and Egypt, and urged Israel to allow unrestricted humanitarian access. Reports from Gaza describe people fainting and dying of hunger, with civil defence workers sharing images of gaunt bodies.
As international pressure mounts, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, citing France's historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. This move comes amid growing global condemnation of the starvation crisis.
Meanwhile, Israel and the United States have recalled their negotiators from Doha, with US envoy Steve Witkoff accusing Hamas of lacking a desire to reach a ceasefire. Witkoff said the US would consider alternative options to recover hostages and stabilise Gaza, without providing details. The abrupt halt to talks followed Hamas's response to the latest ceasefire proposal, which included demands on prisoner exchanges, aid distribution agencies, and a permanent end to the war rather than a temporary truce.
A Palestinian official described Hamas's response as flexible and positive, taking into account the suffering in Gaza. The Israeli Hostage Families Forum expressed deep concern over the recall of negotiators, urging a quick ceasefire to protect the lives and recovery chances of hostages still held in the enclave.
