UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will convene an emergency cabinet meeting later to discuss a peace plan and aid for Gaza, where experts warn a famine is unfolding.
A UN-backed food security body said recent developments, including Israel’s tightening blockades, have “dramatically worsened” conditions in Gaza, which has been on the brink of famine for two years.
The “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out,” the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said.
It comes after Donald Trump acknowledged “real starvation” in Gaza and pledged to set up food centres without “fences”.
He dismissed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that there was no starvation in Gaza and urged him to ensure aid reaches Palestinians.
Local officials confirmed at least 14 more Palestinians, including two children, had died from hunger and malnutrition, bring the toll from starvation to 147, including 88 children.
Israeli human rights groups B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel have labelled the war on Gaza, which has killed over 60,000 people so far, as “genocide”.
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Key Points
- Worst-case scenario of famine happening in Gaza: experts
- Trump calls out ‘real starvation’ in Gaza
- Trump gives Starmer green light to recognise Palestinian state
- Crucial week to save thousands from starvation - reports
- Starmer to hold urgent cabinet meeting on Gaza
ICYMI: Trump calls out ‘real starvation’ in Gaza
12:56
,
Steffie Banatvala
US president Donald Trump said on Monday that he is “not particularly convinced” by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that there is no starvation in Gaza, adding: “Based on television, I would say not particularly, because those children look very hungry.”
Later, Trump asserted there was “real starvation” in the territory, saying: “You can’t fake that”, and pledged to set up “food centres” in Gaza amid growing global outrage over the humanitarian crisis.
Israel has denied widespread famine, calling the images of emaciated children misleading or isolated, but has begun daily 10-hour pauses in fighting to allow more aid to enter by land and air.
'I haven't eaten since yesterday, I worry about the baby I am carrying': pregnant mother in Nuseirat
12:30
,
Steffie Banatvala
A mother of five and currently pregnant, Samah, 32, has not eaten since yesterday.
“No flour, no food, no water. I swear to God. The place we’re in is destitute.
“I am pregnant, but I have not eaten anything since yesterday. I swear to God. The children and the elderly too. We have a diabetic family member, he had two surgeries, he is in need of food and water, and safety, but there is none.
“I do not worry about myself when it comes to eating and drinking water, I worry about the baby I’m carrying. I worry about securing diapers and formula milk for my baby. This is the biggest source of stress and pressure that I am experiencing as a mother. Now I am preparing diapers for the baby using rags because there are no diapers because a bag of diapers is being sold for 4 or 5 million shekels.”
Samah is currently displaced in Nuseirat and travelled on foot to the CARE clinic, which provides children, pregnant and breastfeeding women with malnutrition screening and supplements.
“I used to pray every day that things will get better and that food, water, formula milk and diapers for the children would get in,” she told CARE.
“After an airstrike hit really close to the place we were in, we said we do not want food, we just want an end to the bloodshed and an end to this war, because mentally we are destroyed.”
Trump says he's 'straightening things out' with Netanyahu
12:24
,
Steffie Banatvala
US President Donald Trump has said he's “working to get things straightened out” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speaking to reporters in Scotland, Trump’s comments follow his meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer yesterday.
'Safe spaces are becoming virtually non-existent': IPC
12:11
,
Steffie Banatvala
The latest IPC report on Gaza on a worst-case famine scenario unfolding in Gaza has also found that safe spaces in the besieged enclave are shrinking.
“Safe spaces are becoming virtually non-existent,” the latest IPC report found.
“The population is increasingly confined to ever-shrinking areas not designated as military zones or subject to displacement orders - primarily in Gaza City and the middle governorates.”
UN agencies renew calls for unconditional aid deliveries
12:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
UN agencies have issued a joint response to today’s famine alert by the UN-backed IPC food security body, highlighting the desperate need for action in Gaza.
“Emaciated children and babies are dying from malnutrition in Gaza,” the UN's agency for the welfare of children said.
Unicef chief Catherine Russell called for “immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian access across Gaza” to scale up food, water and medical deliveries.
“Without that, mothers and fathers will continue to face a parent’s worst nightmare, powerless to save a starving child from a condition we are able to prevent.”
The World Food Programme's executive director said waiting for the official IPC confirmation of famine to provide aid is “unconscionable”.
“The longer we wait to act, the higher the death toll will rise,” Cindy McCain said.
Young mother struggles to breastfeed 11-month old son in Deir Al-Balah
11:30
,
Steffie Banatvala
Noura, 27, carefully cradled her 11-month toddler while waiting in line to get him screened for malnutrition at CARE’s primary healthcare centre in Deir Al-Balah. He has already missed some of his developmental milestones like crawling and teething.
“My son is supposed to be drinking formula milk, but there is none to offer. I give him an empty feeding bottle just to distract him,” Noura told CARE.
“I am barely able to breastfeed him, my milk has almost dried up because I’m also not eating well.”
Analysis: Peter Kyle’s comments opposing Palestinian state recognition are more about cabinet splits
11:29
,
David Maddox, political editor
The tech secretary Peter Kyle was very strong this morning in his opposition to recognising Palestinian statehood.
He warned against “rewarding Hamas” for its 7 October attacks and made his opposition very clear over a change of policy.
But these comments were less about government policy and more about cabinet splits.
Mr Kyle is one of a group of cabinet ministers including chancellor Rachel Reeves and chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden who were previously senior officers in Labour Friends of Israel (LFI), a very influential group in the party.
They played a major role with LFI in tackling the antisemitism on the party under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and restoring trust with Jews.
But like LFI now they do not want the Oslo Accords ripped up with premature recognition of a Palestinian state.
They want it to be part of a lengthy peace process towards a two state solution.
Across the floor on this are cabinet ministers such as deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and justice secretary Shabana Mahmood who want the UK to recognise a Palestinian state now.
Tory ex-foreign ministers leave Kemi Badenoch isolated on Palestine
11:16
,
David Maddox, political editor
Tobias Ellwood, the last Tory foreign minister to lead a debate against early recognition of a Palestinian state, has written for The Independent today explaining why he has changed his mind.
It comes as another respected Tory former foreign minister Alistair Burt has also broken ranks with his party this morning saying now is the time to recognise Palestine as a state.
The interventions are a major embarrassment for the current Tory leader Kemi Badenoch who over the weekend doubled down on her opposition to the move.
In his piece Mr Ellwood argued that recognising Palestine as a state now may be the only way to save the prospects of a two-state solution.
He said: “Waiting endlessly for the ‘perfect moment’ is not a strategy. The current status quo, or the pursuit of a one-state solution, will only entrench a perpetual insurgency, fuelled externally and leaving Israel in a state of permanent tensions with its neighbours.”
The issue is just the latest example of a divide between centrist Tories and the increasingly strident right-wing leadership of Ms Badenoch.
Death toll surpasses 60,000: Gaza health ministry
11:11
,
Steffie Banatvala
Israel's military offensive on the Gaza Strip has killed at least 60,000 Palestinians since October 7, 2023 the enclave's health ministry said.
Most of the Palestinians killed are civilians according to the enclave's health authorities.
The ministry said that the number of injured is now 145,870, while thousands remain missing under the rubble of destroyed buildings and areas.
The war began after Hamas carried out a cross-border attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.
In pictures: Palestinians wait to receive food from a charity kitchen in Gaza city
11:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
Israeli minister: 'We facilitate the entrance of aid'
10:35
,
Steffie Banatvala
As the UN-backed IPC warned of famine in Gaza, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar denied claims that Israel is withholding aid, calling them a “lie”.
When asked, he told reporters that the “reality” is that Israel is facilitating the entrance of aid, adding that more than 200 aid trucks have entered Gaza since yesterday.
He said humanitarian corridors were opened, Israel initiated air drops on Saturday and that “there’s no route we’re not using”.
The IPC report found that “aid remains extremely restricted due to requests for humanitarian access being repeatedly denied and frequent security incidents”.
Cabinet minister says Gaza’s people 'need to be rewarded for what they have been through'
10:30
,
Kate Devlin
A cabinet minister has said that citizens in Gaza "need to be rewarded for what they have been through" ahead of a crucial cabinet meeting later today.
There Sir Keir Starmer will set out a plan for “lasting peace” in the Middle East that will pave the way for Labour to recognise a Palestinian state.
Peter Kyle, the science, innovation and technology secretary, said: "Hamas cannot be rewarded for their actions on October 7th, but what we have seen now is the entire region begin to destabilise... we must act towards bringing the long-term peace and stability which is required."
He added that the situation was "complicated" but said "no longer can we sit back and see what is happening in that region and think that the Palestinian people should not be rewarded for what they've been through and have the tools at their disposal to move them towards the kind of peace, stability and dignity that every citizen in every country is owed."
What's needed to meet 'famine' criteria?
10:11
,
Steffie Banatvala
The IPC, the UN-backed food security body, defines famine as meeting the following three criteria:
- At least 20 percent of households have an extreme lack of food or are starving
- At least 30 percent of children from six months to five years old suffer acute malnutrition or are too underweight for their height
- At least two adults or four children (under five years old) out of 10,000 people die daily from starvation or malnutrition
Worst-case scenario of famine happening in Gaza: experts
09:55
,
Steffie Banatvala
The “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip”, the leading international authority on food crises has said.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification’s (IPC) new alert follows an outcry over images of emaciated children in Gaza and reports of dozens of hunger-related deaths.
The report says data indicates that famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of Gaza.
A formal declaration of famine needs data largely denied by the lack of access to Gaza.
But independent experts say they do not need a formal declaration to know what they are seeing in Gaza.
“Just as a family physician can often diagnose a patient she's familiar with based on visible symptoms without having to send samples to the lab and wait for results, so too we can interpret Gaza's symptoms. This is famine,” Alex de Waal, author of Mass Starvation: The History And Future Of Famine and executive director of the World Peace Foundation, said.
Humanitarian group says this week crucial to save thousands from starvation
09:30
,
Steffie Banatvala
“In the coming days, thousands of Gaza’s children will either be rescued or allowed to die,” warned David Miliband, the former foreign secretary and now president of the International Rescue Committee.
“That’s the choice before us.”
Under pressure from a worsening hunger crisis, Israel has paused military operations in parts of Gaza for 10 hours daily for the past two days and allowed some international food airdrops.
However, aid agencies say these steps aren’t enough and urge Israel to open all border crossings and alternative routes for their convoys to travel to avoid being looted.
Analysis: Palestinian state recognition is a one shot opportunity for Starmer – but what does he want to achieve?
09:21
,
David Maddox
Keir Starmer will go into his emergency cabinet meeting this afternoon under immense political pressure to change government policy and recognise a Palestinian state.
The discussion in the cabinet meeting will be part of a wider plan for peace which the prime minister will lay out to senior ministers.
But, in the end, the question which will be troubling Sir Keir will not be whether he wants to recognise Palestine as a country, but determining when formal recognition will have maximum effect.
This is why today’s cabinet meeting will be about setting a pathway to recognition, rather than doing it immediately.
David Maddox writes:
Gangs and merchants sell food aid in Gaza, where Israel’s offensive has shattered security
09:13
,
Steffie Banatvala
Since Israel’s offensive led to a security breakdown in Gaza that has made it nearly impossible to safely deliver food to starving Palestinians, much of the limited aid entering is being hoarded by gangs and merchants and sold at exorbitant prices.
A kilogram (2.2 pounds) of flour has run as high as $60 in recent days, a kilogram of lentils up to $35.
That is beyond the means of most residents in the territory, which experts say is at risk of famine and where people are largely reliant on savings 21 months into the Israel-Hamas war.
Bags of flour in markets often bear U.N. logos, while other packaging has markings indicating it came from the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — all originally handed out for free.
It's impossible to know how much is being diverted, but neither group is able to track who receives its aid.
Can airdrops solve the Gaza crisis? Aid agencies are sceptical
09:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
The UK is set to join Jordan and the United Arab Emirates in airdropping aid into Gaza as starvation and malnutrition have reached perilous levels in the war-torn strip.
Following pressure from the international community, Israel has announced brief “humanitarian pauses” between 10am and 8pm each day to allow more aid to be delivered to starving Palestinians, as US president Donald Trump said on Monday: “They have to get food and safety right now.”
Read in full here:
Starmer to hold urgent cabinet meeting on Gaza
08:44
,
Kate Devlin, Whitehall Editor
In a highly unusual move while Parliament is in recess, Sir Keir Starmer will hold an urgent cabinet meeting on the Middle East this afternoon.
It is designed to set out a plan for “lasting peace” in the region – but all eyes will be on how it paves the way for Labour to recognise a Palestinian state.
The prime minister is due to present his plan, which he discussed with Donald Trump in Scotland on Monday, to ministers.
He is under growing pressure from Labour MPs, and cabinet ministers including Angela Rayner and home secretary Yvette Cooper, to recognise a Palestinian state immediately.
Two Israeli rights groups say their country is committing genocide in Gaza
08:30
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
Two prominent Israeli rights groups on Monday said their country is committing genocide in Gaza. This marks the first time that local Jewish-led organizations have made such accusations against Israel during nearly 22 months of war.
The claims by B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel add to an explosive debate over whether Israel’s military offensive in Gaza — launched in response to Hamas’ deadly October 7 2023, attack — amounts to genocide.
The Palestinians, their supporters and international human rights groups make that claim, and the International Court of Justice is currently hearing a genocide case filed by South Africa against Israel.
But in Israel itself, founded in the wake of the Holocaust, even the government’s strongest critics have largely refrained from making these accusations.
Read more here:
Trump gives Starmer green light to recognise Palestinian state
08:00
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
Donald Trump has removed a key obstacle to Sir Keir Starmer officially recognising a Palestinian state as the prime minister prepares to discuss the issue at a crucial cabinet meeting this week.
The president, seen as one of Israel’s strongest supporters, signalled the United States would not object to such a move – giving Sir Keir the green light as pressure mounts on him politically to follow Emmanuel Macron, who last week announced France would do so.
In an apparent shift in US backing for Israel, the president also expressed his concern at images and reports of children starving in Gaza, as a ground blockade means only very limited aid is getting through.
And he joined calls for Benjamin Netanyahu to soften his tactics in Gaza, saying the Israeli PM “may have to do it a different way”.
Read more here:
AIPAC drops support for GOP lawmaker after call to ‘starve away’ Gaza until hostages freed
07:30
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
AIPAC appears to have dropped its endorsement of Republican Congressman Randy Fine after he tweeted: “Release the hostages. Until then, starve away.”
“(This is all a lie anyway. It amazes me that the media continues to regurgitate Muslim terror propaganda.),” Fine added in the July 22 post.
AIPAC had backed Fine in his House race earlier this year, but by Monday evening, his name no longer appeared in the pro-Israel lobby’s list of endorsed candidates, according to The Times of Israel.
Fellow Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted: “A Jewish US Representative calling for the continued starvation of innocent people and children is disgraceful. It’s the most truthful and easiest thing to say that Oct 7th in Israel was horrific and all hostages must be returned, but so is the genocide, humanitarian crisis, and starvation happening in Gaza.”
Two-state solution further off than ever – UN chief
07:00
,
Jane Dalton
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict is "further than ever before".
Mr Guterres said actions "that would forever undermine the two-state solution" must stop, and he urged a two-day UN conference to be a "decisive turning point" rather than mere rhetoric.
French and Saudi foreign ministers on Monday opened the conference on a two-state solution to the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Let’s be clear: The creeping annexation of the occupied West Bank is illegal.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) July 28, 2025
It must stop.
The wholesale destruction of Gaza is intolerable.
It must stop.
Unilateral actions that would forever undermine the two-state solution are unacceptable.
They must stop.
Palestinian activist fatally shot by an Israeli settler in West Bank
06:30
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
Palestinian activist and teacher Odeh Muhammad Hadalin, known for his work on the Oscar-winning film No Other Land, was shot and killed by an Israeli settler in the West Bank village of Umm al-Khair.
The alleged shooter, identified by residents as Yinon Levi, sanctioned by the EU and US, was arrested, though Israeli police also detained four Palestinians and two tourists, Al Jazeera reported.
Odeh just died. Murdered. https://t.co/rRWqSa48iN
— Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם (@yuval_abraham) July 28, 2025
Human rights group B’Tselem has accused Israel of genocide, citing a spike in settler attacks carried out with impunity.
Over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 2023.
Toll of Gazans killed by Israeli military 'rises to 78'
06:06
,
Jane Dalton
Monday’s death toll of Palestinians in Gaza from Israeli strikes or gunfire has risen to 78, according to local health officials.
The dead included a newborn who was delivered in complex surgery after his mother was killed in a strike, according to the Nasser Hospital.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment about the latest strikes, which occurred outside the time frame for the suspension of military operations that Israel declared would be between 10am and 8pm local time.
Starmer calls humanitarian situation in Gaza ‘absolutely intolerable’
05:30
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
Kier Starmer told the media on Monday that “people in Britain are revolted at seeing what they are seeing on their screens”, referring to the images of starving children in Gaza.
He called the humanitarian situation in Gaza “absolutely intolerable”.
“We need to galvanize other countries in support of getting that aid in, and, yes, that does involve putting pressure on Israel, because it absolutely is a humanitarian catastrophe,” he said.
Israeli opposition leader warns Israel could be ostracised
05:05
,
Jane Dalton
The head of the opposition in Israel's parliament has called on the government to immediately end the war in Gaza, calling it "not a complete victory, but a complete disaster".
"If we don't end the war now, the hostages will not return, the IDF will continue to lose its best fighters, the humanitarian disaster will worsen, the world will close itself off to Israelis," Yair Lapid said.
He called on a coalition of moderate Arab countries, led by Egypt, to run Gaza.
"The management of humanitarian aid in Gaza has collapsed. It simply doesn't work," he said, claiming that Israel was helping Hamas' campaign as the humanitarian situation continued to worsen.
Trump calls out ‘real starvation’ in Gaza
04:28
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
US president Donald Trump said on Monday that he is “not particularly convinced” by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that there is no starvation in Gaza, adding: “Based on television, I would say not particularly, because those children look very hungry.”
Later, Trump asserted there was “real starvation” in the territory, saying: “You can’t fake that”, and pledged to set up “food centres” in Gaza amid growing global outrage over the humanitarian crisis.
Israel has denied widespread famine, calling the images of emaciated children misleading or isolated, but has begun daily 10-hour pauses in fighting to allow more aid to enter by land and air.
UN debates two-state solution
04:04
,
Jane Dalton
French and Saudi foreign ministers have opened a two-day UN meeting on a two-state solution to the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict, highlighting what they called "a growing international consensus" for a non-military solution.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot noted that the large attendance reflected global consensus to end the war in Gaza.
His Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan called it a "historic stage" to not only end the conflict but also to advance a two-state solution.
Recap: Trump says Gazans starving, contradicting Israeli leader
03:03
,
Jane Dalton
US president Donald Trump has said many people are starving in Gaza and suggested Israel could do more on humanitarian access.
As the death toll from two years of war in Gaza nears 60,000, a growing number of people are dying from starvation and malnutrition, Gaza health authorities say. Images of starving children have shocked the world and fuelled international criticism of Israel.
Mr Trump's assessment put him at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on Sunday denied there was starvation in Gaza and vowed to fight on against the Palestinian militant group Hamas - a statement he repeated on Monday.
Mr Trump, speaking during a visit to Scotland, said Israel had a lot of responsibility for aid flows, and that a lot of people could be saved.
There is no starvation in Gaza, no policy of starvation in Gaza, and I assure you that we have a commitment to achieve our war goals.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) July 28, 2025
We will continue to fight till we achieve the release of our hostages and the destruction of Hamas' military and governing capabilities. They… pic.twitter.com/cND0ZoejgJ
Riot police scuffle with Greek protesters over Israeli cruise ship visit
02:02
,
Jane Dalton
Editorial: Finally, Trump breaks with Israeli leaders
01:00
,
Jane Dalton
When as loyal an ally as Mr Trump cannot bring himself to endorse Mr Netanyahu’s astonishing claim, there is not much the Israeli prime minister can hope for from international sympathy.
Netanyahu claims there is no starvation in Gaza
Monday 28 July 2025 23:58
,
Jane Dalton
In case you missed it:
Israeli access to research funding faces curbs
Monday 28 July 2025 22:48
,
Jane Dalton
The European Commission has recommended curbing Israeli access to its flagship research funding programme after calls from EU countries to increase pressure on Israel over the humanitarian crisis.
EU countries said last week that Israel was not living up to its commitments under an agreement with the European Union on increasing aid supplies to Gaza, and asked the commission to put concrete options on the table.
The proposal to partially suspend Israel's participation in the Horizon Europe programme needs approval from a qualified majority of EU countries to take effect - at least 15 of the EU's 27 members, representing at least 65% of its population.
"While Israel has announced a daily humanitarian pause in Gaza fighting and has met some of its commitments under the common understanding on humanitarian aid and access, the situation remains severe," the commission said.
Commission proposes partial suspension of Israel's association to Horizon Europe. pic.twitter.com/IrdP4EVlJc
— Peter Žerjavič (@PeterZerjavicEU) July 28, 2025
Germany plans airlift
Monday 28 July 2025 21:42
,
Jane Dalton
Germany will immediately launch an airlift to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza as it considers stepping up pressure on Israel over the "catastrophic" situation in the enclave, chancellor Friedrich Merz has said.
Germany, together with the United States, has long remained one of Israel's staunchest allies and largest arms suppliers.
The German security cabinet convened for more than two hours on Monday to discuss the situation, Mr Merz said.
While it welcomed Israel's announcement of a halt in military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza as an "important first step", it agreed more must follow.
US will set up food centres, Trump vows
Monday 28 July 2025 20:46
,
Jane Dalton
President Trump has vowed the US will set up food centres to feed starving people in Gaza.
"We're going to set up food centres," he said on a visit to Scotland.
The centres would have no fences or boundaries, he pledged, and the US would also work with other countries to provide more humanitarian assistance, including food and sanitation.
Israel had a lot of responsibility for aid flows, the president insisted.
Starmer hands Trump Middle East peace plan
Monday 28 July 2025 20:00
,
Jane Dalton
Sir Keir Starmer has presented a UK-led peace plan for the Middle East to Donald Trump as he met the US president in Scotland.
The Prime Minister started work on a plan with France and Germany over the weekend after an emergency call with the two countries' leaders, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz.
His official spokesman had said earlier that he planned to share details with key allies, including A
