


For nearly two years, people in Gaza have faced death by airstrikes, tanks and bullets.
Now, many are facing a slower, quieter end: They are dying from starvation.
It’s a crisis that Gaza’s few remaining functional hospitals can’t treat. “There is no one in Gaza now outside the scope of famine, not even myself,” Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, who leads the pediatric ward at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, told my colleagues. “I am speaking to you as a health official, but I, too, am searching for flour to feed my family.”
As Gaza faces a looming famine, its social order is breaking down. Looting is rampant. Chaos surrounds the enclave’s few aid delivery sites. Israeli troops have opened fire on civilians waiting for food, again and again. The United Nations says that more than 1,000 people trying to get food have been killed since May.
After 21 months of devastating war in Gaza, it can be difficult to discern when conditions there have meaningfully shifted. But Times correspondents are clear: Gaza is descending into anarchy. It’s a crisis that appears unlikely to abate soon, as Israel and the U.S. said yesterday that they would withdraw from cease-fire talks with Hamas. Below, we explain what is happening.
An ongoing crisis
Hunger in Gaza is not new.
Israel’s blockade — its ability to control what is allowed into the enclave — has been a source of tension for nearly two decades. Throughout the war, international aid agencies have accused Israel of not allowing enough food into Gaza. Israel says Hamas diverts supplies for its own purposes and aid groups mismanage shipments.
The Times has been unable to verify Israel’s claims that Hamas is diverting large amounts of aid to itself. The claims are difficult to confirm because Israel does not allow foreign journalists into Gaza unaccompanied. And Gaza-based journalists are themselves struggling to find food. But our reporters have heard from Gazans in recent weeks that they are at risk of starving to death.