Gaza is now the hungriest place on earth, and the entire population is at risk of famine - that's the stark warning from the United Nations. It says its mission to help starving Palestinians is the most obstructed in recent history.

Jerusalem

The U.S-brokered ceasefire deal in Gaza is holding, after Hamas released the remaining Israeli hostages.

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The United Nations has described Gaza as the 'hungriest place on earth,' warning that the entire population of over two million people is at risk of famine. The UN reports that its mission to provide aid to Palestinians in Gaza is among the most obstructed in recent history, with significant barriers to distributing food and essential supplies.

Aid distribution in Gaza is currently managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private organisation supported by the US and Israel, but it has been criticised for failing to meet humanitarian needs. Only three out of four aid distribution points are operational, none in the north, forcing many Palestinians to travel long distances for food, often returning empty-handed. There have also been reports of violence at distribution centres, with at least 10 people killed while trying to collect food.

Gaza is now the 'hungriest place on earth'

An assault on human dignity. The words used to describe Israel's forced starvation of an entire population. Palestinians in Gaza are having to fight for their food, another reminder of the dehumanising treatment imposed upon them. I fought to get this for my children. Look at me. I have no flour, no oil, no sugar, no food. I collect mouldy bread and feed it to my children. I want to get a bag of flour for my children. I want to eat. I'm hungry. The only form of aid being distributed across the Strip is under the control of a private organisation backed by the US and Israel. It's called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and it's been accused of weaponising aid. We went to this new area and we came out empty handed. What they are saying about their will to feed the people of Gaza are lies. They neither feed people nor give them anything to drink. Only three of the four distribution points set up by the GHF are functioning, which are meant to serve more than two million people. None of them are in the north. Palestinians are having to walk tens of kilometres in the summer heat to reach these centres, many to return empty handed. There's no flour, no food, no bread. We have nothing at home. Every time I go to get aid, I hold a box and hundreds of people crowd over me. Before UNRWA used to send me a message, I would go and get aid. Now there's nothing. If you are strong, you get aid. If you are not, you leave empty handed. But Palestinians are not only being forced to scramble through each other, they're also being shot at. At least 10 people have been killed trying to collect food since Tuesday, after chaotic scenes unfolded across aid distribution centres. The UN has accused the GHF of being unfit for humanitarian needs and says its mission to help Palestinians is being obstructed. And the aid operation that we have ready to roll is being put in an operational straitjacket that makes it one of the most obstructed aid operations, not only in the world today, but in recent history. The United Nations has described Gaza as the hungriest place on earth. The entire population of just over 2 million people are at risk of famine as cries for help continue to go unheard. Julie Dager, Al Jazeera.

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