Key Points
- Gaza death toll reaches 61,258
- Israel, allies bear full responsibility for humanitarian catastrophe
- At least 200,000 children in Gaza are suffering from severe malnutrition
- Israeli Prime Minister facing growing criticism
- The UN alarmed over reports of possible Israeli land seizures
GAZA CITY, Palestine: A senior European Commission official on Thursday said that Israel’s ongoing military attack on Gaza appears “very much like genocide”, as the Palestinian death toll surpassed 61,250 and aid access to the besieged enclave remains critically low amid a starvation crisis.
Speaking to Politico magazine, European Commission Vice-President Teresa Ribera said, “If it is not genocide, it looks very much like the definition used to express its meaning. What we are seeing is a concrete population being targeted, killed and condemned to starve to death.”
In one of Brussels’ strongest condemnations of Israel since the war began, European Commission Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera said the starvation, displacement and killing in Gaza “looks very much” like genocide.https://t.co/RLcWVYhLKW
— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) August 7, 2025
This is the first time a high-ranking member of the European Union’s executive body has publicly used the term “genocide” in reference to Israel’s offensive, which began in October 2023 following Hamas’s attack on southern Israel.
Death toll soars
At least 98 Palestinians were killed and 603 injured in Israeli attacks across the enclave in the past 24 hours, the territory’s health ministry said on Thursday. Among the dead were 51 people reportedly seeking humanitarian aid.
The ministry also reported four new famine-related deaths, bringing the total number of starvation deaths to 197, including 96 children.
The cumulative death toll from Israel’s military campaign has now reached 61,258, with more than 152,000 people injured since the start of the war, the ministry said.
Humanitarian crisis
Gaza’s Government Media Office said only 92 aid trucks entered the territory on Wednesday, far below the 500–600 trucks the UN estimates are needed daily to meet basic needs.
In a statement, the office accused Israel of deliberately preventing aid deliveries, citing the closure of crossings and “orchestrated security chaos” that has led to looting and disruption of aid distribution.
“The occupation [Israel] and its allies bear full responsibility for the humanitarian catastrophe,” the statement said.
The EU’s humanitarian and foreign policy arms, in a briefing to member states, confirmed that while there have been minor improvements in fuel deliveries and route reopenings, “significant obstructive factors continue to undermine humanitarian operations and aid delivery to Gaza, notably the lack of a safe operating environment to allow the distribution of aid at scale.”
Amjad Shawa, head of the NGO Network in Gaza, said that at least 200,000 children in Gaza are suffering from severe malnutrition, with the absence of baby formula and nutritional supplements leading to further deaths, Al Jazeera reported.
Tensions within Israeli leadership
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing growing criticism at home and abroad over plans to expand military operations into parts of Gaza not currently under Israeli control.
According to three Israeli officials cited by Reuters, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir warned during a tense three-hour meeting on Tuesday that further expansion could entrap Israeli forces in Gaza and endanger hostages still being held.
Zamir reportedly expressed concerns that extending the campaign would have limited military benefit and risk unintended consequences. The Israeli army claims it already controls about 75 percent of Gaza.
The military has resisted calls to impose full military occupation in Gaza, positions advocated by some members of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition.
Defence Minister Israel Katz, writing on X, acknowledged the military’s right to voice its position but reaffirmed that it would carry out the government’s decisions until all war objectives are achieved.
Netanyahu is expected to convene a security cabinet meeting on Thursday to discuss the proposed expansion.
International pressure
The UN has called reports of potential Israeli plans to seize more territory “deeply alarming”. British Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters warned against a full-scale occupation, calling it a “huge mistake”.
“The military has done all it can in Gaza — continuing the war will only lead to more deaths of soldiers, Palestinians, and possibly hostages,” Walters told the Times of Israel.
He added that a political solution and an alternative governing authority to Hamas are essential for Gaza’s future.
The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, with Gaza’s health ministry reporting that over 20 people died on Wednesday when a food truck overturned and was overwhelmed by desperate civilians.
Nearly 200 Palestinians have now died from starvation, roughly half of them children.
Since October 2023, Israel’s military campaign has devastated Gaza, displacing nearly the entire population of 2 million, many of whom have been forced to flee multiple times.
Aid agencies warn that most residents are on the brink of famine, with little prospect for respite as ceasefire negotiations remain stalled.
