As Gaza starves, Israeli Minister's mosque visit stirs outrage

At least six more Palestinians have died of starvation in Gaza in the past 24 hours, bringing the official death toll from hunger and malnutrition to 175 since the war began—nearly half of them children. As famine conditions deepen, fuel deliveries remain erratic, and Israeli fire continues to kill civilians seeking aid.

Gaza’s health ministry said on Sunday that the enclave’s hospitals are operating in crisis mode, with fuel shortages forcing medical teams to triage patients and turn away all but the most critically ill. Egyptian state media reported that two trucks carrying 107 tons of diesel were set to enter the strip on Sunday, but there was no confirmation by evening that they had crossed the border.

Israel has permitted limited aid convoys in recent weeks and introduced short daily pauses in fighting in some areas to allow humanitarian access. But the UN and humanitarian groups warn these steps are inadequate. "Airdrops cannot meet the scale of need," one UN official said. "Land access must be restored on a mass scale."

Sunday also saw at least 40 Palestinians killed in Israeli air and ground strikes across the coastal strip, according to local health authorities. Some of the victims were reportedly shot while approaching food delivery points in central and southern Gaza. Among the dead was a staff member of the Palestinian Red Crescent, killed in a strike that set the group's Khan Younis headquarters ablaze.

Al-Aqsa Provocation Raises Diplomatic Alarm

As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsened, political tensions flared. Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Sunday, appearing to pray at the site in defiance of long-standing agreements that bar Jewish prayer there.

Under a decades-old "status quo" arrangement, the site—administered by a Jordanian Islamic trust—is open to Jewish visitors but off-limits for Jewish worship. Ben-Gvir’s visit coincided with Tisha B'Av, a Jewish day of mourning, and was condemned by Palestinian officials as a deliberate provocation.

Videos released by far-right groups showed Ben-Gvir walking through the site. Other footage appeared to show him praying, though this has not been independently verified. The Waqf said more than 1,200 non-Muslims entered the compound on Sunday, many of whom "shouted, danced, and prayed."

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement asserting that Israel's commitment to the status quo "has not changed and will not change." But Ben-Gvir—who has repeatedly called for expanded Jewish rights at the site—said he had prayed for Israel’s victory in Gaza and the return of hostages, and reiterated his call for the full conquest of the enclave.

A spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Ben-Gvir had “crossed all red lines” and called on the international community—especially the U.S.—to intervene.

"While starvation spreads in Gaza, Israeli extremists are allowed to turn one of the holiest sites in Islam into a political theatre," the spokesperson said.

Though there were no immediate reports of violence following the visit, previous attempts to alter the Al-Aqsa status quo have sparked widespread unrest across the region.