Middle East: 100 aid groups urge 'decisive action' in Gaza

• Over 100 aid and human rights organizations say 'concrete measures' must be taken to end Gaza siege as starvation spreads
• The aid groups say the 'UN-led humanitarian system has not failed, it has been prevented from functioning'
• The US and Israel backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has been tasked with distributing aid
• There have been reports of shootings at GHF aid sites while Palestinians are trying to receive aid
• Meanwhile, Trump Middle East envoy Witkoff expected to visit Europe for talks on Gaza

Here's the latest developments in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Iran and other parts of the Middle East:  

07/23/2025July 23, 2025

Over 100 aid groups, rights watchdogs urge action in Gaza amid humanitarian crisis

Over 100 aid groups and human rights watchdogs have condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, laying blame on Israel and the Israeli government-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) for the dire situation there.

The Gaza Strip has a population of nearly 2 million people and faces a shortage of food, water, medicine and other essential goods.  

"Exactly two months since the Israeli government-controlled scheme, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, began operating, 109 organizations are sounding the alarm, urging governments to act: open all land crossings; restore the full flow of food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter items and fuel through a principled, UN-led mechanism; end the siege, and agree to a ceasefire now," the aid groups said in a joint statement signed by organizations such as Doctors without Borders (MSF), Save the Children International, Oxfam and the Norwegian Refugee Council.  

US President Donald Trump's administration also backs the GHF, which other humanitarian groups have criticized for politicizing aid in Gaza. 

Moreover, there have been near-daily reports of Palestinians being shot at and/or killed while trying to receive aid at GHF distribution centers in Gaza. The civil defense agency in Gaza has blamed the shootings on Israeli forces, whereas Israel has claimed that Hamas has been opening fire on Palestinians.  

Palestinians 'trapped' in 'cycle of hope and heartbreak' 

"Palestinians are trapped in a cycle of hope and heartbreak, waiting for assistance and ceasefires, only to wake up to worsening conditions," the statement said. "It is not just physical torment, but psychological. Survival is dangled like a mirage. 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 statement from the aid groups added.   

The statement from the aid groups comes after UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres a day earlier called Gaza a "horror show" where "starvation is knocking on every door."

Although the aid organizations have criticized Israel's siege on Gaza, the Israeli government has contended that its restrictions on Gaza's borders are necessary for security reasons. Israel launched a military operation in Gaza after Hamas, the militant group which controls the Gaza Strip, led terror attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. 

The Israeli military is currently conducting a ground incursion into the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah, with the World Health Organization on Monday saying a building housing WHO staff was attacked there. The incursion raises further humanitarian risks for Gaza as the city serves as a refuge for Palestinians displaced amid Israeli strikes in Gaza.  

07/23/2025July 23, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

Welcome to DW's coverage of Gaza, Israeland the wider Middle East on Wednesday, July 23, 2025.

As aid groups sound the alarm over extreme hunger in Gaza, a US envoy is traveling to Europe to discuss a possible ceasefire.

This blog will feature not only the latest news from the region but also analysis, multimedia content and on-the-ground reporting from DW correspondents.