Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe has reached new extremes as Israel’s closure of border crossings has triggered an unprecedented surge in food prices. According to UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, the price of basic necessities like flour and vegetables has soared more than 100-fold since crossings were shut down on Sunday. This latest escalation compounds the suffering of a population already pushed to the brink by months of relentless siege and bombardment.

Despite Israeli claims that aid is being withheld due to alleged looting by Palestinian factions, Dujarric firmly denied such assertions, stating that UN teams on the ground have reported no such incidents. He also emphasized that since the ceasefire, humanitarian aid has been reaching people more effectively, contrary to Israel’s justification for halting shipments. However, Netanyahu’s decision to seal off Gaza’s crossings has once again choked the flow of life-saving supplies, worsening an already dire food crisis.

The Israeli leader has tied the blockade to demands for the unconditional release of captives held in Gaza, refusing to proceed with the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, which includes negotiations for a complete end to the war. Meanwhile, resistance factions insist that Israel must honour its commitments before any further agreements are reached. With U.S. support, Israel has waged a genocidal war that has displaced nearly 2 million Palestinians, leaving them to starve in what has effectively become an open-air prison. As the world watches, Gaza’s people continue to endure an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe, with no end in sight.