Gaza families face deeper food crisis as aid stalls and prices soar

Since mid-October, Israel has suspended most commercial deliveries to Gaza after merchants were asked to pay 10,000 shekels per truck, a demand linked to a Hamas-run fund. The United Nations World Food Programme announced a cut in its Gaza operations, dropping the number of beneficiaries from 1.6 million to 1.1 million and providing only one food parcel per family. Residents such as Huda Abu Leila, who lives in a tent in western Gaza City, now rely on tea-dipped bread and canned beans, while her children suffer from dizziness and weakened health, prompting medical follow-up at al-Rantisi Hospital.

Another mother, Raeda Soboh, reports months without milk, meat or eggs and sees her children growing weak and sleepy. UNICEF and OCHA data show thousands of children already receiving treatment for moderate and severe malnutrition, and pediatric specialists warn the situation could worsen if aid remains limited.