Azzam Al-Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGO Network, has issued a grave warning about the accelerating humanitarian collapse in Gaza, describing it as the worst crisis the territory has faced since the onset of the Israeli aggression. With food, water, and medical supplies dwindling, Gaza is rapidly slipping into catastrophe.

Flour stocks ran out at the end of March, causing most bakeries to shut down and leaving individuals with less than one loaf of bread per day. Community kitchens—once a fragile lifeline—are on the verge of closure, threatening to cut off the only meal many families can access. Nearly 40% of Gaza's population is now directly at risk.

The situation is even more dire for children. Dozens are suffering from severe malnutrition, while hospitals, paralysed by a shortage of medicines, medical tools, and supplements, are unable to respond. Water supplies are also collapsing due to fuel scarcity, with drinking and sanitation infrastructure on the edge of failure.

Al-Shawa warned that 69% of the Strip is now inaccessible due to ongoing bombardments and forced displacement. The intensifying military operations are compounding civilian suffering and closing off critical aid routes.

He condemned Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon of war, calling it a war crime and part of a broader campaign of ethnic cleansing. “This is the most dangerous phase the Palestinian people have ever faced,” Al-Shawa said, urging the international community to act before the collapse becomes irreversible.