Starvation Mounts in Gaza—Pope Demands Ceasefire

Gaza’s health ministry reports that 10 more Palestinians, including two children, have died from starvation in just the past 24 hours. This brings the grim total to 313 famine-related deaths, with 119 children among them. A UN-backed body has formally declared famine conditions in parts of Gaza. Arab News+11The Guardian+11The Guardian+11
The International Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) underscores the severity: over 514,000 people—nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population—are now facing famine, a figure expected to climb to 641,000 by September’s end. Politico+5Reuters+5Reuters+5
Despite slight increases in aid, the World Food Programme (WFP) confirms that daily aid convoys are severely insufficient—hovering around 100 trucks daily versus the pre-blockade pace of 600 per day. Reuters

In an emotional address from the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV demanded that Israel end its "collective punishment" of Gaza’s civilians and halt forced displacement. He called for a permanent ceasefire, safe humanitarian access, respect for international law, and the release of remaining hostages. Reddit+15AP News+15The Guardian+15
The Pope’s words echoed global outrage, especially amid sweeping UN criticism of starvation as a weapon of war. X (formerly Twitter)+15Reuters+15Vatican News+15

At the UN Security Council, 14 out of 15 member states (excluding the U.S.) denounced the famine as a man-made crisis, urging immediate action. They demanded an unconditional ceasefire, unrestricted aid, and the release of all hostages. Reuters
Meanwhile, UNICEF’s Executive Director declared it “kind of obscene” to debate hunger statistics while children continue dying—emphasizing that IPC data is rooted in technical, not political, credibility. Politico