As the Israeli government’s ongoing siege starves the people of Gaza, 115 humanitarian organizations have sounded the alarm on Wednesday, urging governments to act. The organizations demand decisive action, including opening all land crossings and restoring the full flow of food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter items, and fuel through a principled United Nations–led mechanism. They also demand an end to the siege and a ceasefire now.
In a joint statement, the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) said that "symbolic gestures" cannot replace states' legal and moral obligations to protect Palestinian civilians and ensure meaningful access at scale. The NGOs stated that governments must pursue concrete measures to end the siege, such as halting the transfer of weapons and ammunition. They added that governments "must stop waiting for permission to act."
“States can and must save lives before there are none left to save,” the statement said.
This statement comes as people in Gaza continue to face death, injury, displacement, and trauma amid ongoing hostilities and the gradual deterioration of conditions necessary for survival, including adequate access to food, water, healthcare, and shelter.
Over one million children are bearing the brunt of deepening starvation and malnutrition, with cases of death from malnutrition increasing daily. Those who survive face severe, life-altering risks, including impaired cognitive and physical growth.
The NGOs report that aid workers are now joining the same food lines as other Gazan civilians and risking being shot just to feed their families. With supplies now totally depleted, humanitarian organizations are witnessing their colleagues and partners waste away before their eyes.
Massacres at food distribution sites in Gaza are occurring nearly every day. As of July 23, Gazan health officials reported that Israeli forces had killed 1,060 Palestinians and injured more than 7,000 while they were desperately seeking food. Most of these deaths occurred at the Gaza “Humanitarian” Foundation's (GHF) militarized aid distribution points, with others occurring near aid convoys.
The GHF is an entity controlled by Israel and the United States, yet it is opposed by the United Nations, humanitarian organizations, human rights organizations, and most countries worldwide.
Despite having "humanitarian" in its name, the GHF is regarded as the very opposite of a humanitarian organization. Its establishment for the purpose of weaponizing aid and limiting food aid to small groups of Gazans — those who can reach it and survive crossing combat zones — may itself amount to a war crime, a crime against humanity, or an act of genocide.
Israel's war in Gaza continues to be characterized by grave war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israeli military and government officials.
These crimes include the collective punishment of civilians, the use of starvation as a method of warfare, the denial of humanitarian aid, the targeting of civilians, the targeting of aid workers, indiscriminate killings, the carrying out of disproportionate attacks, the deliberate targeting of civilian objects and undefended buildings, forced transfers, torture, and enforced disappearances.
Human rights organizations and human rights experts point out that Israel's actions in Gaza, including the blockade and obstruction of humanitarian aid, are not only flagrant war crimes but also part of a genocide against Gaza's population.
According to their findings, the Israeli government's actions are apparently aimed at deliberately inflicting living conditions calculated to bring about the physical destruction of a group or part of a group, as defined in the Genocide Convention.
Despite being accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide — some of the worst crimes known to humanity — the Israeli government continues to receive financial, military, economic, and political support from the United States and a few other allies.
Since March 18, 2025, Israeli forces have escalated their bombardment of the Gaza Strip from the air, land, and sea and have expanded their ground operations. According to Gaza health officials, more than 8,360 people have been killed and more than 31,000 injured since Israel broke the ceasefire.
Health officials report that Israeli forces have killed more than 59,200 Palestinians, most of whom were children, women, and elderly individuals, and injured over 143,000 others in attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 2023. Among those killed are at least at 18,000 children.
However, the true number of deaths is believed to be much higher. Thousands more remain buried under the rubble, and a lack of equipment and insecurity hinder rescue efforts for the wounded and missing. Additionally, it is estimated that thousands more have died from indirect causes, such as starvation, lack of medical care, lack of shelter, and dehydration.
Since October 7, 2023, at least 493 aid workers have been killed, including 336 UN staff members, 48 Palestine Red Crescent Society staff members, 4 International Committee of the Red Cross staff members, and 105 staff members of other humanitarian aid organizations.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have forcibly displaced nearly two million Palestinian civilians, with the most recent mass displacement order confining Palestinians to less than 12 percent of Gaza.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) warns that current conditions render humanitarian operations untenable. Using starvation as a method of warfare is a war crime.
“Just outside Gaza, in warehouses - and even within Gaza itself - tons of food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter items and fuel sit untouched with humanitarian organizations blocked from accessing or delivering them,“ the NGOs said on Wednesday.
“The Government of Israel’s restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death. “
While doctors are reporting record rates of acute malnutrition, especially among children and older adults, illnesses like acute watery diarrhea are spreading. Markets are empty. Waste is piling up. Adults are collapsing on the streets from hunger and dehydration.
“Distributions in Gaza average just 28 trucks a day, far from enough for over two million people, many of whom have gone weeks without assistance,” the statement said.
“The UN-led humanitarian system has not failed, it has been prevented from functioning. Humanitarian agencies have the capacity and supplies to respond at scale. But, with access denied, we are blocked from reaching those in need, including our own exhausted and starved teams.”
Although the European Union and Israel announced steps to scale up aid on July 10, “these promises of ‘progress’ ring hollow when there is no real change on the ground”.
Every day without sustained flow of aid means more people are dying of preventable illnesses. Children starve while waiting for promised aid that never materializes.
“Palestinians are trapped in a cycle of hope and heartbreak, waiting for assistance and ceasefires, only to wake up to worsening conditions. It is not just physical torment, but psychological. Survival is dangled like a mirage,” the NGOS said.
“The humanitarian system cannot run on false promises. Humanitarians cannot operate on shifting timelines or wait for political commitments that fail to deliver access.”
The joint NGO statement follows a weak statement released Monday by more than 30 governments that said the Israeli government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to Gaza’s civilian population - a crime - is “unacceptable.” The statement again called on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to safely and effectively carry out their lifesaving work.
However, these governments continue to fail to take meaningful action, such as imposing tough sanctions on Israel's economy or on Israeli government officials. They also do not sanction those governments that continue to provide the Israeli military with weapons and ammunition, such as Germany and the United States, the largest providers of arms to Israel.
Governments have also not taken any significant steps to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the situation in Gaza. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024.
Further information
Full text: “As mass starvation spreads across Gaza, our colleagues and those we serve are wasting away”, statement of 115 NGOs, released July 23, 2025
https://www.msf.org/mass-starvation-spreads-across-gaza
Full list of signatories:
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
A.M. Qattan Foundation
A New Policy
ACT Alliance
Action Against Hunger (ACF)
Action for Humanity
ActionAid International
American Baptist Churches Palestine Justice Network
Amnesty International
Asamblea de Cooperación por la Paz
Associazione Cooperazione e Solidarietà (ACS)
Bystanders No More
Campain
CARE
Caritas Germany
Caritas Internationalis
Caritas Jerusalem
Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD)
Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM)
CESVI Fondazione
Children Not Numbers
Christian Aid
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
CIDSE- International Family of Catholic Social Justice Organisations
Cooperazione Internazionale Sud Sud (CISS)
Council for Arab‐British Understanding (CAABU)
DanChurchAid (DCA)
Danish Refugee Council (DRC)
Development and Peace – Caritas Canada
Doctors against Genocide
Episcopal Peace Fellowship
EuroMed Rights
Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
Forum Ziviler Friedensdienst e.V.
Gender Action for Peace and Security
Glia
Global Legal Action Network (GLAN)
Global Witness
Health Workers 4 Palestine
HelpAge International
Human Concern International
Humanity & Inclusion (HI)
Humanity First UK
Indiana Center for Middle East Peace
Insecurity Insight
International Media Support
International NGO Safety Organisation
Islamic Relief
Jahalin Solidarity
Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC)
Justice for All
Kenya Association of Muslim Medical Professionals (KAMMP)
Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation
MedGlobal
Medico International
Medico International Switzerland (medico international schweiz)
Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)
Medicine for the People - Belgium (MPLP/GVHV)
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
Médecins du Monde France
Médecins du Monde Spain
Médecins du Monde Switzerland
Mercy Corps
Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA)
Movement for Peace (MPDL)
Muslim Aid
National Justice and Peace Network in England and Wales
Nonviolence International
Norwegian Aid Committee (NORWAC)
Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)
Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA)
Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
Oxfam International
Pax Christi England and Wales
Pax Christi International
Pax Christi Merseyside
Pax Christi USA
Pal Law Commission
Palestinian American Medical Association
Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF)
Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS)
Peace Direct
Peace Winds
Pediatricians for Palestine
People in Need
Plan International
Première Urgence Internationale (PUI)
Progettomondo
Project HOPE
Quaker Palestine Israel Network
Rebuilding Alliance
Refugees International
Saferworld
Sabeel‐Kairos UK
Save the Children (SCI)
Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund
Solidarités International
Støtteforeningen Det Danske Hus i Palæstina
Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER)
Terre des Hommes Italia
Terre des Hommes Lausanne
Terre des Hommes Nederland
The Borgen Project
The Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM)
The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (GCR2P)
The International Development and Relief Foundation
The Institute for the Understanding of Anti‐Palestinian Racism
Un Ponte Per (UPP)
United Against Inhumanity (UAI)
War Child Alliance
War Child UK
War on Want
Weltfriedensdienst e.V.
Welthungerhilfe (WHH)