By ABDULLAH 
As Gaza reels under a deepening humanitarian catastrophe, France has stepped forward with a significant emergency response—dispatching 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid through four relief flights from Jordan. Each flight is carrying 10 tonnes of life-saving supplies aimed at addressing the dire food and medical shortages in the war-torn enclave.
According to a global hunger monitor, Gaza is facing a “famine scenario,” with soaring malnutrition rates and children under five dying due to hunger-related causes. The aid, described by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot as critical but “still not sufficient,” comes amid growing global outcry over the worsening crisis.
“This is emergency aid, but still not enough in this revolting situation,”
– Jean-Noel Barrot, France’s Foreign Minister
Since the early hours of Friday, at least 12 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 70 injured in ongoing Israeli airstrikes, according to Al Jazeera. The situation has become increasingly grim as Gaza remains under a complete blockade, cutting off access to food, medicine, and humanitarian assistance.
Tragically, a two-year-old boy reportedly died from severe malnutrition, underscoring the escalating toll on Gaza’s most vulnerable population.
US President Donald Trump, speaking to NBC News, described the hunger crisis in Gaza as “terrible.” He confirmed that special envoy Steve Witkoff and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee would visit the region to assess the situation.
“People are very hungry. It’s a terrible situation,” – President Donald Trump
A senior White House official revealed that Trump has been “troubled” by images of starving children, signaling a potential shift in Washington’s stance toward the crisis.
Despite mounting global concern, a new Maariv poll by the Lazar Research Institute reveals that 47% of Israelis deny the existence of famine in Gaza, dismissing it as Hamas propaganda. While 41% acknowledge a humanitarian crisis, only 56% of them express concern; 44% remain indifferent.
Meanwhile, proposed plans to forcibly relocate Palestinians to a “southern concentration zone” have been widely condemned and labeled as ethnic cleansing by international observers.
Israel’s offensive on Gaza—launched on October 7, 2023—has now claimed the lives of nearly 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has flattened infrastructure and crippled access to basic necessities.
In response, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Simultaneously, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
France’s humanitarian airlift adds pressure on other Western nations to follow suit. Demonstrations across Paris and other European capitals continue to call for an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza.