Charities that have been feeding thousands of people are being forced to close as Israel’s complete blockade on Gaza continues. Those still able to operate are winding down services, as essentials like cooking gas, water and other items are no longer available.

“The markets are running out of products, and much of what little is available is now unaffordable,” Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum reports from Deir el-Balah.

“Community kitchens, once feeding thousands, are now fighting their own battle against time, scarcity, and worsening starvation.”

Mohammed Abu Hamza, owner of a local kitchen, said: “Community kitchens have been a lifeline for countless displaced families in Gaza, but with border crossings sealed, the humanitarian situation has worsened dramatically. There is no food, no gas, no wood — nothing left to keep these kitchens running, as hunger tightens its grip on Gaza.”

 Palestinians break their fast by eating Iftar meals during Ramazan, near the rubble of buildings, in the northern Gaza Strip on March 15, 2025. — Reuters/Mahmoud Issa
Palestinians break their fast by eating Iftar meals during Ramazan, near the rubble of buildings, in the northern Gaza Strip on March 15, 2025. — Reuters/Mahmoud Issa

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