The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a dire warning about "alarming levels" of malnutrition in the Gaza Strip, attributing the crisis to the "deliberate blocking and delay" of humanitarian aid. As of Sunday, July 27, 2025, 63 of the 74 malnutrition-related deaths recorded in 2025 occurred in July alone, including 24 children under five.

The WHO reports a tripling of acute malnutrition rates in Gaza City since June, making it the worst-hit area. Over 5,000 children under five were admitted for outpatient malnutrition treatment in the first two weeks of July, with 18% suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The total of 6,500 children admitted for malnutrition treatment in June was the highest since the conflict began in October 2023.

Despite Israel's recent "tactical pause" in military operations to allow aid, the WHO calls for sustained, unhindered "flooding" of Gaza with diverse food and therapeutic supplies. They also highlight that the breakdown of water and sanitation is "driving a dangerous cycle of illness and death."

The UN rights office reports that over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since late May while trying to obtain food aid in Gaza, with nearly three-quarters of these deaths occurring near sites operated by the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.