Create account

Ongoing story / Gaza Strip

The Israel-Hamas war: hunger, famine and the fight over aid to Gaza

Overview · reviewed November 14, 2026

The war in Gaza brought severe hunger and repeated disputes over access to food and medical aid. The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed famine in Gaza City in August 2025. It reported in December that improved aid access after the ceasefire had ended famine conditions, but warned in July 2026 that the gains remained fragile and malnutrition was still at crisis levels.[1][2][3]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · monthly average of weekly shares (UTC)

Oct 2023: average weekly share 26% (left 9%, center 13%, right 4%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2023: average weekly share 7% (left 2%, center 4%, right 2%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2023: average weekly share 7% (left 3%, center 3%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksJan 2024: average weekly share 11% (left 4%, center 4%, right 2%), from 5 of 5 weeksFeb 2024: average weekly share 13% (left 5%, center 6%, right 2%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2024: average weekly share 25% (left 9%, center 11%, right 4%), from 4 of 4 weeksApr 2024: average weekly share 16% (left 6%, center 7%, right 3%), from 5 of 5 weeksMay 2024: average weekly share 18% (left 6%, center 8%, right 4%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2024: average weekly share 15% (left 5%, center 8%, right 3%), from 4 of 4 weeksJul 2024: average weekly share 4% (left 1%, center 2%, right 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksAug 2024: average weekly share 9% (left 2%, center 6%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2024: average weekly share 3% (left 1%, center 2%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2024: average weekly share 3% (left 1%, center 2%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2024: average weekly share 8% (left 2%, center 4%, right 2%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2024: average weekly share 5% (left 1%, center 3%, right 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2025: average weekly share 5% (left 1%, center 2%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2025: average weekly share 5% (left 1%, center 3%, right 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2025: average weekly share 3% (left 1%, center 2%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2025: average weekly share 11% (left 4%, center 6%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2025: average weekly share 7% (left 2%, center 4%, right 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2025: average weekly share 17% (left 6%, center 9%, right 2%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2025: average weekly share 8% (left 3%, center 5%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2025: average weekly share 2% (left under 1%, center 2%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2025: average weekly share 4% (left 1%, center 3%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2026: average weekly share under 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2026: average weekly share under 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksSep 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksOct 2026: average weekly share under 1% (left under 1%, center 0%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 2 of 2 weeks, so far

LeftCenterRight

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. Over more than two years each bar is a month: the average of that month's weekly shares, so the shape stays readable. The weekly table below keeps every week. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 11 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (78 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Oct 19, 20261023 of 4791%
Aug 31, 20262125 of 4751%
Jul 20, 20263317 of 5621%
Dec 29, 2025714223 of 16614%
Dec 15, 202538011 of 1876%
Nov 24, 2025210214 of 1539%
Aug 25, 2025512219 of 19910%
Aug 18, 20251220234 of 19118%
Aug 4, 20253407 of 1944%
Jul 28, 20251827752 of 18728%
Jul 21, 20251723747 of 19025%
Jul 14, 2025819330 of 18416%
Jul 7, 20252002 of 1911%
Jun 30, 2025313016 of 2177%
Jun 23, 20252204 of 1373%
Jun 9, 2025710522 of 19911%
Jun 2, 20251118130 of 18916%
May 26, 20251219435 of 19118%
May 19, 2025711321 of 19711%
May 12, 2025913123 of 20211%
May 5, 20253429 of 2014%
Apr 28, 20252338 of 2044%
Apr 21, 2025310013 of 2066%
Apr 14, 20254206 of 2013%
Mar 31, 202529213 of 2056%
Mar 24, 20251405 of 1943%
Mar 10, 20251708 of 1984%
Mar 3, 2025414624 of 20212%
Feb 24, 20259191038 of 19719%
Dec 30, 20243306 of 1953%
Dec 23, 2024819532 of 19217%
Dec 2, 202446010 of 2284%
Nov 25, 20241118534 of 17819%
Nov 18, 20243137 of 2253%
Nov 4, 2024281222 of 22310%
Oct 28, 2024814527 of 19614%
Sep 9, 202446010 of 2304%
Sep 2, 2024712322 of 21210%
Aug 26, 202415301055 of 20427%
Aug 19, 20240213 of 2091%
Aug 12, 2024414119 of 2179%
Jul 29, 20241416 of 2283%
Jul 15, 2024415625 of 22011%
Jul 8, 202437313 of 1847%
Jun 24, 20241525646 of 25018%
Jun 17, 202457214 of 2226%
Jun 10, 202415211147 of 24719%
Jun 3, 20241120637 of 22816%
May 27, 202412171746 of 24719%
May 20, 2024812626 of 22612%
May 13, 202417311260 of 21628%
May 6, 20241416636 of 23615%
Apr 29, 20241625849 of 23721%
Apr 22, 20241313935 of 22316%
Apr 8, 202473414 of 2645%
Apr 1, 202433451795 of 26436%
Mar 25, 20241118635 of 24514%
Mar 18, 20241921646 of 24619%
Mar 11, 202426371275 of 24331%
Mar 4, 202431371987 of 25434%
Feb 26, 202434401791 of 25636%
Feb 19, 202487116 of 2327%
Feb 5, 202499725 of 24210%
Jan 29, 20241313430 of 23513%
Jan 22, 202416211451 of 23821%
Jan 15, 20241216735 of 22316%
Jan 1, 20244217 of 2323%
Dec 25, 202369318 of 2079%
Dec 18, 20231212731 of 23613%
Dec 11, 20230101 of 225under 1%
Dec 4, 202368216 of 2177%
Nov 27, 202328212 of 2355%
Nov 13, 20231417839 of 21518%
Nov 6, 202328515 of 2376%
Oct 30, 20231426646 of 23320%
Oct 23, 20231829754 of 23823%
Oct 16, 202334431087 of 24835%
Oct 9, 202322281262 of 23726%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Nov 12, 2026 · first reported · Headline from Al Jazeera

    Palestinian baby dies from cold in Gaza amid Israeli restrictions on aid

Background

After Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, medics in the besieged Gaza Strip warned that thousands could die as hospitals ran low on fuel and supplies.[4] The first convoy, carrying 20 trucks of aid, entered from Egypt on October 21.[5] A six-week truce in early 2025 enabled deliveries of food, shelter and medical assistance. On March 2, Israel halted entry of all goods and supplies after Hamas rejected a proposal to extend the ceasefire.[6]

Read the full background (4 more paragraphs)

UNRWA, the UN agency providing relief to Palestinian refugees, faced funding cuts and restrictions. In January 2024, the United States and several other countries suspended funding after Israel accused agency staff of participating in the October 7 attack.[7] Israel's passed a law in October banning UNRWA from operating in Israel.[8] At the end of 2025, Israel moved to suspend other aid organisations, including Doctors Without Borders, over new vetting rules that included demands for lists of Palestinian employees.[9] Funding shortages persisted: in October 2026, the World Food Programme said funding shortages were forcing it to cut monthly food aid for about 500,000 Palestinians in Gaza.[10]

Aid workers and people seeking food were killed during the war. On February 29, 2024, local health officials reported more than 100 people killed near an aid convoy in Gaza City. Palestinian accounts described Israeli gunfire; Israel denied shooting into large crowds and said most deaths resulted from a crush or people being run over.[11] In April, Israeli strikes killed seven World Central Kitchen workers delivering food, and the charity suspended operations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces had unintentionally hit innocent people.[12]

Alternative delivery systems also faced obstacles. A US-built temporary pier was damaged by rough seas shortly after it began operating in May 2024, suspending deliveries.[13] In May 2025, the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation opened distribution hubs despite objections from the UN and aid groups.[14] Soon afterward, health officials and witnesses reported at least 31 people killed on their way to an aid site. Witnesses said Israeli forces fired toward crowds about a kilometre from the site; Israel denied responsibility.[15] In July, an internal US government analysis found no evidence of systematic Hamas theft of US-funded aid, and Israeli military officials said there was no proof that Hamas routinely stole UN aid.[16] The foundation suspended work when the October ceasefire began and announced in November that it was ending operations, after criticism over hundreds of deaths among Palestinians trying to reach its hubs.[17]

Hunger assessments changed as access to food changed. A UN-backed report warned in March 2024 that famine was imminent in northern Gaza.[18] The IPC confirmed famine in Gaza City in August 2025.[1] In December, it said improved food access following the October ceasefire meant Gaza was no longer in famine, though hunger remained severe.[2] Its July 2026 assessment warned that conditions were still at crisis levels and could deteriorate again.[3] In November, as flooding worsened, medics said a nine-month-old baby had died from the cold.[19]

Supporting stories (19)
  1. Famine confirmed in Gaza City, UN-backed initiative says
  2. Gaza no longer has famine, says global hunger monitor
  3. Famine has ended in Gaza. But the gains are fragile and it could get worse
  4. Packed Gaza hospitals warn that thousands could die as supplies run low and ground offensive looms
  5. Egypt-Gaza border crossing opens, allowing first aid deliveries to reach Palestinians
  6. Israel cut off food and supplies to Gaza. Aid groups are scrambling. What's happening on the ground?
  7. UNRWA could run out of Gaza funding in a month as many in West cut aid
  8. Israel’s outlawing of UNRWA will make life ‘unbearable’ for Palestinians
  9. Israel to ban 37 aid groups operating in Gaza
  10. World Food Programme cuts aid to 500,000 Palestinians in Gaza, citing funding shortages
  11. Palestinians say more than 100 people were killed in the chaos of an aid delivery
  12. Family and friends recall dedication of World Central Kitchen aid workers killed in Gaza
  13. The US-built pier in Gaza broke apart. Here's how we got here and what might be next
  14. UN blasts new US-backed aid distribution system in Gaza
  15. Gaza officials say Israeli forces killed 27 heading to aid site. Israel says it fired near suspects
  16. U.S. government analysis found no evidence of massive Hamas theft of Gaza aid
  17. Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to close
  18. Famine in northern Gaza is imminent as more than 1 million people face ‘catastrophic’ levels of hunger, new report warns
  19. Nine-month-old baby dies of cold in Gaza

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 196 recorded updates

November 2026

  1. Nine-month-old baby dies of cold in GazaHeadline from Al-Monitor · 3 outlets

October 2026

  1. World Food Programme cuts aid to 500,000 Palestinians in Gaza, citing funding shortagesHeadline from Al-Monitor · 9 outlets

September 2026

  1. UN food agency halves West Bank aid because of funding shortages, warns new cuts may be neededHeadline from Triblive · 6 outlets

July 2026

  1. Famine has ended in Gaza. But the gains are fragile and it could get worseHeadline from WFMZ Allentown · 8 outlets

December 2025

  1. Israel to ban 37 aid groups operating in GazaHeadline from Digital Journal · 17 outlets
  2. Israel says it will bar aid groups, including Doctors Without Borders, from GazaHeadline from Wyoming Public Media · 5 outlets
  3. Israel says it will halt operations of several humanitarian organizations in Gaza starting in 2026Headline from KOB 4 · 7 outlets
  4. Gaza no longer has famine, says global hunger monitorHeadline from Al-Monitor · 14 outlets

November 2025

  1. Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to closeHeadline from Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · 16 outlets

August 2025

  1. Israel to halt airdrops ahead of Gaza City offensive as Red Cross calls mass evacuations ‘impossible’Headline from CNN · 8 outlets
  2. Israel soon will halt or slow aid to northern Gaza as military offensive grows, official saysHeadline from Los Angeles Times · 11 outlets
  3. Famine confirmed in Gaza City, UN-backed initiative saysHeadline from ABC 17 Mid-Missouri · 36 outlets
  4. Israeli strikes, gunfire kill 33 as Gaza City becomes focus of famine, military offensiveHeadline from ABC 7 Los Angeles · 10 outlets

July 2025

  1. Dozens killed seeking aid in Gaza as Israel weighs further military actionHeadline from The Boston Globe · 13 outlets
  2. Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff visits Gaza aid site amid outrage over starvation under Israel's assaultHeadline from NBC News · 27 outlets
  3. Israeli pause in fighting in 3 Gaza areas begins as concerns over hunger mountHeadline from WMUR · 24 outlets
  4. Israel's military says aid airdrops will begin in Gaza as hunger growsHeadline from NPR · 21 outlets
  5. Aid Israel allowing into Gaza still a ‘drop in the ocean’, UN saysHeadline from Al Jazeera · 8 outlets
  6. U.S. government analysis found no evidence of massive Hamas theft of Gaza aidHeadline from NBC News · 5 outlets
  7. Trump says he wants Netanyahu to ‘make sure they get the food’ in Gaza amid humanitarian crisisHeadline from The Boston Globe · 16 outlets
  8. 'Worst-case scenario of famine' unfolding in Gaza, IPC saysHeadline from ABC 13 Houston · 34 outlets
  9. Israeli strikes kill at least 36 people in Gaza, officials say, as some aid restrictions are easedHeadline from WFMZ Allentown · 16 outlets
  10. Mass starvation stalks Gaza as deaths from hunger riseHeadline from Anchorage Daily News · 23 outlets
  11. Officials say 85 Palestinians seeking aid are killed in Gaza as Israel widens evacuation ordersHeadline from WDIO Duluth · 35 outlets
  12. 20 Palestinians killed at Gaza aid distribution site, says Israeli-backed aid groupHeadline from Minneapolis Star Tribune · 14 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →