The humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened, with local health officials reporting that 11 more people have died from malnutrition. This raises the total number of starvation-related fatalities to 212, including nearly 100 children.

In the past day alone, 38 Palestinians have been killed and almost 500 injured in Israeli military strikes, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

These developments come amid reports that Israel has set 7 October 2025 as the deadline for residents to vacate Gaza City. The date marks two years since the war began and is part of a newly approved Israeli plan to seize full control of the territory’s largest urban area.

The proposal, endorsed by Israel’s security cabinet, outlines five steps for ending the conflict one of which includes establishing permanent security authority over Gaza. According to Israeli media, the first phase focuses on moving the city’s roughly one million inhabitants further south.

The plan has been sharply criticized internationally and even within Israel, with military officers and the families of hostages warning it could endanger lives. Defense Minister Israel Katz has dismissed objections, insisting that outside pressure will not alter the government’s course.

The United States has taken a softer stance, with former President Donald Trump recently stating that the decision to occupy Gaza “rests with Israel.”

Before the October deadline, Israel intends to relocate Gaza City residents many already displaced multiple times to al-Mawasi, a southern coastal zone now crammed with makeshift shelters and lacking proper sanitation. Humanitarian organizations warn the move will intensify the existing crisis, with UN food experts saying famine conditions are already unfolding.

The UN’s humanitarian office says aid deliveries remain far below what’s needed, blaming logistical obstacles and access restrictions. Israel denies there is hunger in Gaza, accusing aid agencies of inefficiency.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry reports that 21 people died in the past 24 hours while attempting to collect food. Since late May, the UN estimates more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed during aid-related incidents, most allegedly in Israeli military fire near distribution points or convoy routes. Israel disputes these figures, claiming Hamas provokes unrest at the sites.

The Israeli government says it will supply humanitarian assistance outside combat zones but has provided no details. Observers fear the post-deadline siege of Gaza City could mirror earlier offensives in Rafah and northern Gaza, which resulted in mass displacement and large-scale destruction.

Hostage concerns also complicate the situation. Intelligence suggests around 20 Israelis remain alive in Gaza, some possibly in or near the city. Reports indicate Hamas has ordered their captors to kill them if Israeli forces approach.

The war began on 7 October 2023, following a Hamas-led assault that killed about 1,200 people in Israel and saw more than 250 taken hostage. Since then, over 61,000 Palestinians have died in Israeli military operations.