“I can’t walk anymore”: When journalists, the hungry, and medics collapse in Gaza

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Amid an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, hunger in Gaza is intensifying, and the basic foundations of life are disintegrating. Surviving has become a daily struggle for everyone.

In this context, dozens of international humanitarian organizations are warning that Israel’s blockade, which restricts the entry of aid into Gaza, is endangering the lives of doctors, relief workers, and civilians.

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Meanwhile, a major international news agency has announced its efforts to evacuate its remaining staff, describing the situation as “unbearable.”

In a joint statement released Wednesday, 111 international NGOs urged Israel to lift its blockade, restore full access to food, clean water, and medical supplies, and agree to a ceasefire.

The statement—signed by Médecins Sans Frontières, Amnesty International, and the Norwegian Refugee Council—read: “As Israel’s blockade continues to starve Gaza’s population, aid workers now join food queues, risking their lives just to feed their families.”

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The NGOs stressed that Gaza’s supplies are “completely depleted” and that aid workers are “witnessing their colleagues and partners die before their eyes.”

Israel denies the accusations
This statement followed harsh criticism from 28 Western countries, accusing Israel of delivering aid to Gaza only “gradually.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry rejected the joint communiqué—unsigned by the United States—as “detached from reality.”

EU Foreign Affairs representative Kaja Kallas posted on X: “Killing civilians seeking help in Gaza is indefensible.”

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According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 15 people, including four children, died from hunger in the last 24 hours.

Speaking to CNN, Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Hospital, said that malnutrition and starvation cases “are arriving at Gaza hospitals every moment.”

Before the war began in October 2023, Gaza heavily depended on humanitarian and commercial imports for food.

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Israel has blamed Hamas for blocking aid deliveries, alleging the group was seizing and profiting from supplies—a claim Hamas denies.

Israel has also criticized UN agencies, accusing them of failing to collect pre-approved aid shipments.

The UN says Israeli forces frequently deny access to move aid inside Gaza, leaving massive quantities stuck at entry points.

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Criticism of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation
NGOs also criticized the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—supported by Israel and the US—calling its distribution system dangerous.

UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma said that seeking food “has become as dangerous as the bombings.”

She called the Foundation’s mechanism a “sadistic death trap,” accusing snipers of “firing indiscriminately at crowds, as if licensed to kill.”

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Touma added: “Doctors, nurses, journalists, and aid workers are all starving… some faint from hunger and exhaustion while working.”

Dying for a loaf of bread
By July 21, at least 1,054 people had been killed trying to obtain food, including 766 near Gaza Foundation sites and 288 near UN or NGO convoys, according to the UN human rights office.

The Israeli army admitted firing warning shots in some instances but denied responsibility in others.

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In June, it said it “reorganized” access routes to reduce friction, yet deaths continue.

Last week, the Gaza Foundation confirmed that 19 people were trampled to death and one stabbed during a chaotic food distribution—its first acknowledgment of casualties.

Journalists on the brink
On Tuesday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) said it was attempting to evacuate its remaining freelancers from Gaza due to the dire situation.

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Independent reporters have been barred from entering Gaza, making local Palestinian journalists the only source of information for the global press.

AFP’s journalists’ union warned Monday that some staff in Gaza are too weak from hunger to work and risk dying.

In a post shared by the union, photojournalist Bashar Taleb (30) wrote: “I no longer have the strength to report. My body is so frail, I can’t walk anymore.”

Taleb has lived in the ruins of his home with his family since February. On Sunday, one of his brothers collapsed from hunger.

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Another journalist, Ahlem, said: “Every time I leave the tent to report or interview, I don’t know if I’ll return alive.”

AFP noted it has successfully evacuated eight staff and their families since January and is pushing to evacuate the rest.

“Lives are at risk. We urge Israeli authorities to allow their immediate evacuation,” the agency said.

CNN reported that this war is the deadliest for journalists since records began 30 years ago: at least 186 killed, and 89 detained.

AFP concluded: “Since our founding in 1944, we have lost reporters in war. Some were injured or captured. But never before have we seen our colleagues die of hunger.”

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