Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Some 680,000 children in Gaza are living in displacement sites overrun by rats, mice, and insects, with families reporting they are too afraid to let their children sleep at night for fear of being bitten; an incident that has already occurred this year, according to Save the Children. According to the organization, an analysis of United Nations data shows that figure places roughly two in three of all children in Gaza inside the more than 1,600 displacement sites where rodents or pests have been openly sighted,&nbsp; Children, particularly infants under five and those weakened by malnutrition, are most vulnerable to the diseases spreading through these camps, according to the foundation. Skin infections and rashes have been reported in nearly two-thirds of assessed sites, lice in over 65% of sites, and bedbugs in more than half of sites, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Rodents are chewing through tents and contaminating food supplies, with few safe storage options available. Cases are expected to worsen as temperatures continue to rise. Waste buildup across rubble-strewn sites has driven the spread of scabies, pneumonia and diarrhea, &ldquo;illnesses that hit young and malnourished children hardest,&rdquo; the organization said.&nbsp; Gaza&#39;s healthcare, water and sanitation systems have been decimated by more than two years of war, turning overcrowded camps into breeding grounds for disease. An Israeli military blockade on aid and commercial goods has left families without access to pesticides, the non-profit reported. When such items do appear in local markets, the prices are unaffordable for most. Families have been reduced to attempting to catch rats with sticks and basic adhesive traps. Shurouq, a multimedia manager for Save the Children in Gaza, described raw sewage running through streets in the rain and being pumped into the sea.&nbsp; &quot;I struggle to find water and people have no choice but to fish and swim in the sea so they are putting themselves at risk,&quot; she said. Save the Children called on Israel to lift the siege immediately, open all border crossings and restore aid flows.&nbsp; &ldquo;Israel, as the occupying power, bears a legal obligation to ensure the humanitarian needs of the occupied population are met,&rdquo; it said, adding that the current ceasefire plan had failed on its humanitarian provisions.

Displaced Palestinians sit with their empty containers amid the rubble of buildings destroyed by the Israeli military, as they wait to collect food from a charity kitchen in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on May 1, 2026. (AFP)

Middle East

680,000 children in Gaza live in displacement sites infested with rodents and insects, with nowhere to go and no means to protect themselves as temperatures climb.

Two in three Gaza children are rotting in plague-ridden camps

RAFAH:&nbsp;Israel partially reopened the Rafah crossing between the devastated Gaza Strip and Egypt on Sunday following months of urging from humanitarian organizations, though access is limited to the movement of people. The reopening comes as violence continues despite a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory, with Gaza&#39;s civil defense agency reporting dozens killed in Israeli attacks on Saturday. The Israeli military said it was &lsquo;retaliating&rsquo; against violations of the truce. The Rafah crossing is a vital gateway for both civilians and aid, but it had remained closed since Israeli forces seized control of it in May 2024 during its warn in Gaza, aside from a brief and limited reopening in early 2025. COGAT, the Israeli defense ministry body coordinating Palestinian civilian affairs, said Sunday that the &quot;Rafah Crossing was opened today for the limited passage of residents only&quot;. An official at Gaza&#39;s health ministry, which operates under Hamas&rsquo;s authority, said that about 200 patients were waiting to be permitted to leave the territory once the crossing opened. Meanwhile, a group of &quot;around 40 Palestinians affiliated with the Palestinian Authority has arrived on the Egyptian side of the crossing to be allowed into Gaza and begin their work&quot;, a Palestinian official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Israel had previously said it would not reopen the crossing until the body of Ran Gvili &ndash; the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza &ndash; was returned. His remains were recovered days ago and he was laid to rest in Israel on Wednesday, with COGAT announcing the reopening two days later. Entry and exit &quot;will be permitted in coordination with Egypt, following prior security clearance of individuals by Israel, and under the supervision of the European Union mission&quot;, it said at the time. COGAT on Sunday described the reopening as &quot;an initial pilot phase&quot;, coordinated with the EU, adding the parties were carrying out &quot;preliminary preparations aimed at increasing readiness for full operation of the crossing&quot;. &quot;The actual passage of residents in both directions will begin upon completion of these preparations,&quot; it added. A wider reopening is scheduled for Monday, three sources at the crossing said. However, no agreement has yet been reached on the number of Palestinians permitted to enter or exit, the sources added, noting that Egypt plans to admit &quot;all Palestinians whom Israel authorizes to leave&quot;. Anxious wait &quot;Every day that passes drains my life and worsens my condition,&quot; said Mohammed Shamiya, 33, who suffers from kidney disease and requires dialysis treatment abroad. &quot;I&#39;m waiting every moment for the opening of the Rafah land crossing.&quot; Safa al-Hawajri, who has received a scholarship to study overseas, was also eagerly anticipating the reopening. &quot;I&#39;m waiting in the hope of fulfilling my ambition, which is tied to the reopening of the crossing,&quot; said Hawajri, 18. &quot;I hope to be able to travel as soon as it opens.&quot; Located on Gaza&#39;s southern border with Egypt, Rafah is the only crossing into and out of the territory that does not pass through Israel. It lies in an area held by Israeli forces following their withdrawal behind the so-called &quot;Yellow Line&quot; under the terms of the US-brokered ceasefire, which came into effect on October 10. Israeli troops still control more than half of Gaza, while the rest remains under Hamas authority. The reopening is expected to facilitate the entry of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic body, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), established to oversee the day-to-day governance of the territory&#39;s 2.2 million residents. The committee, established under the ceasefire deal, will be supervised by the so-called &quot;Board of Peace&quot; chaired by US President Donald Trump. However, the NCAG, headed by former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath, is not expected to enter the Gaza Strip on Sunday, a member of the committee said. &quot;The head of the committee was informed that Israel had approved the entry of the members into Gaza but has not yet set a date,&quot; he told AFP. &quot;We call on the mediators and the US administration to accelerate operations at the crossing and increase the number of travelers.&quot;

Fuel and humanitarian aid trucks enter through the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip in northeastern Egypt on January 27, 2026, as the vital crossing to the Palestinian territory reopens. (AFP)

Israel partially reopens Gaza’s Rafah crossing for limited movement of people. The crossing had been closed since May 2024, and full operations are expected to begin Monday.

Israel allows limited movement through Rafah crossing into Gaza

ISLAMABAD: Amnesty International and 52 other international humanitarian organizations warned that Israel&#39;s recent registration measures will severely impede aid delivery in Gaza and the West Bank, where needs remain critical despite a ceasefire. In a joint statement, the groups said&nbsp;they deliver more than half of all food assistance in Gaza, operate or support 60% of field hospitals and provide all treatment for children with severe acute malnutrition. If Israel allows their registrations to lapse, approximately one in three health facilities would close immediately, food distributions would halt and shelter pipelines serving 1.3 million people would collapse, according to the statement coordinated by the Norwegian Refugee Council. &quot;This is not a technical or administrative matter, but a deliberate policy choice with foreseeable consequences,&quot; the organizations wrote in the statement. One in four families in Gaza survives on one meal a day, according to the groups. Winter storms have displaced tens of thousands, they said. The organizations said they implement nearly three-quarters of shelter activities, with about 600,000 shelter items in their supply pipelines. The humanitarian groups said in the statement they operate under strict donor-mandated compliance including audits and counter-terror financing controls meeting international standards. More than 500 humanitarian workers have been killed since October&nbsp;7, 2023, the statement said. The organizations said they cannot transfer sensitive staff data to parties in the conflict, citing humanitarian principles and data protection requirements. The groups called on Israel to immediately halt deregistration proceedings and urged donor governments to use all available leverage to pressure Israel to reverse the actions, according to the statement. &quot;Humanitarian access is not optional, conditional, or political. It is a legal obligation under international humanitarian law,&quot; the statement said. In the West Bank, ongoing military raids and settler violence continue to drive displacement, the organizations said. Further restrictions on the groups would sharply reduce the reach of aid assistance. The statement said the move would set a dangerous precedent by extending Israeli authority over humanitarian operations in the occupied Palestinian territory. Signatories include Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam, CARE International, Islamic Relief, Medical Aid for Palestinians, the Danish Refugee Council and the American Friends Service Committee, according to the statement.

The aid organizations said the move would set a dangerous precedent by extending Israeli authority over humanitarian operations in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Amnesty International, 52 aid groups warn Israel threatens Gaza aid operations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Palestine on Thursday launched the first-ever Rectors&rsquo; Forum to strengthen academic cooperation and rebuild Gaza&rsquo;s war-ravaged higher education sector.&nbsp;Titled &ldquo;Higher Education and Scientific Research in Gaza: The Way Forward,&rdquo; the event was held at the OIC-COMSTECH Secretariat in Islamabad. It was hosted by COMSTECH, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation&rsquo;s Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation.&nbsp;Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the initiative marked &ldquo;an important step&rdquo; toward restoring Gaza&rsquo;s education and research capacities.&nbsp;&ldquo;It is a privilege to join this forum, which reflects our shared commitment to education, knowledge, and scientific progress, the foundation for peace and prosperity in the State of Palestine,&rdquo; Siddiqui said. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/d31ac423-7184-478f-ba02-016ef1b5810b-pale.jpg" alt=" (COMSTECH/Facebook)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">(COMSTECH/Facebook)</figcaption></figure> The minister praised OIC-COMSTECH&rsquo;s role in advancing science and higher education across the Muslim world and announced support for the committee&rsquo;s plan to offer 5,000 fellowships to Palestinian students, calling it &ldquo;a remarkable initiative&rdquo; that would help shape a new generation of scientists and leaders.&nbsp;He also highlighted COMSTECH&rsquo;s Basic Life Support and Trauma Management Course for Palestinian healthcare workers and its technical and skills training programmes, describing them as &ldquo;tangible steps&rdquo; to strengthen human capacity and save lives in Gaza.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan stands shoulder to shoulder with Palestine,&rdquo; Siddiqui said. &ldquo;We offer not just words, but cooperation in research, innovation, and higher education.&rdquo;&nbsp;He expressed hope that the forum would lead to joint research projects, faculty exchanges, scholarships, and lasting academic partnerships between institutions in both countries. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/2a157543-7120-4f9d-9a8b-6b71f653532e-pales.jpg" alt=" (COMSTECH/Facebook)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">(COMSTECH/Facebook)</figcaption></figure>In his opening remarks, COMSTECH Coordinator General Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary said the forum aimed to create a roadmap for rebuilding Gaza&rsquo;s scientific and educational infrastructure.&nbsp;&ldquo;The systematic destruction of universities, research centres, and schools in Gaza has targeted not only buildings, but the intellectual foundations of an entire generation,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;He added that COMSTECH and its partner institutions would work with Palestinian counterparts to restore academic life, rebuild universities, and revive research and innovation in Gaza.&nbsp;A seven-member Palestinian delegation comprising university presidents, rectors, and senior academic officials is in Pakistan for a week-long visit facilitated by COMSTECH. The group will hold meetings at leading universities in Islamabad, Faisalabad, and Lahore to explore future collaborations.&nbsp;The event was attended by ambassadors, vice chancellors, senior academics, and officials from both countries.

Pakistan and Palestine held the first-ever Rectors’ Forum on Thursday to boost academic cooperation and rebuild higher education links between institutions in both countries. (COMSTECH/Facebook)

Foreign Affairs

Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui says the new Pakistan–Palestine Rectors’ Forum marks a vital step to rebuild Gaza’s higher education, as OIC-COMSTECH pledges 5,000 fellowships and joint research initiatives to restore academic life in Gaza.

Pakistan, Palestine launch forum to rebuild Gaza’s higher education sector

Reuters

WASHINGTON: A group of US senators introduced on Thursday the first Senate resolution to urge recognition of a Palestinian state, further signaling a shift in Washington sentiment toward Israel nearly two years into its war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.&nbsp;The Democratic-led measure is unlikely to pass the chamber where President Donald Trump&#39;s Republicans have a 53-47 majority. Trump said on Thursday he disagreed with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over whether to recognize a Palestinian state, and no Republicans have joined efforts to do so.&nbsp;Democrat Jeff Merkley of Oregon, who is leading the effort, said in a statement: &quot;America has a responsibility to lead, and the time to act is now.&quot;&nbsp;The resolution urges US recognition of a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel and would offer both sides hope while boosting prospects for peace, Merkley said.&nbsp;In the House of Representatives, Ro Khanna of California is circulating a letter in an effort to rally support for the recognition of Palestinian statehood.&nbsp;The actions reflect a shift among lawmakers toward pressuring Israel to end the war and ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as the conflict approaches the two-year mark.&nbsp;The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;The Senate resolution&#39;s other co-sponsors are Democrats Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Peter Welch of Vermont, Tina Smith of Minnesota, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, as well as Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with Democrats.&nbsp;Sanders on Wednesday became the first US senator to describe events in Gaza as a genocide.&nbsp;A United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded this week that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. Israel said the findings were biased and based on unverified evidence.&nbsp;A handful of US allies are preparing to recognize a Palestinian state as world leaders meet at the UN General Assembly in New York next week.&nbsp;A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll last month showed that a majority of Americans - 58% - believe that every country in the United Nations should recognize Palestine as a nation.&nbsp;The Palestinian death toll from the war surpassed 65,000 on Wednesday, Gaza health authorities say. About 1,200 people were killed in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.&nbsp;Israel says 48 hostages remain in Gaza, and around 20 are still alive.

Americas

Democrat Jeff Merkley, who is leading the effort, says, "America has a responsibility to lead, and the time to act is now."

Democratic-led US Senate resolution seeks recognition of Palestinian state

ISLAMABAD: Britain&rsquo;s Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sharply criticized Israel&rsquo;s blockade of Gaza, calling out the occupying power of creating a &ldquo;man-made famine&rdquo; on Wednesday, during a tense meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in London.&nbsp;The rare public rebuke by a Western leader towards Israel is part of rising concerns over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where more than 500 people have died due to starvation alone. Israel siege of the enclave has killed more than 64,000 people, including 18,000 children, since October 2023, as per Gaza&rsquo;s health ministry.&nbsp;A Downing Street spokesperson said that Starmer urged Israel to stop its offensive in the occupied territory and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza to prevent the situation from worsening.&nbsp;Protests in the UK during Israel President&rsquo;s visitHerzog&rsquo;s visit to the U.K. led to widespread protests across the country. Thousands protested outside the Downing Street for two consecutive days. Demonstrations also took place at Chatham House, where the Israeli President spoke. People banged pots and pans, accusing Israel of genocide.&nbsp;The Israeli president&rsquo;s visit to the U.K. comes on the heels of Israeli airstrikes on Doha, Qatar, a British ally. Israel claimed it was targeting Hamas leadership attending ceasefire talks in the Gulf country.&nbsp; Several countries condemned the attack, with the Qatari Prime Minister calling Israel move an act of &ldquo;state terrorism.&rdquo; Israel also targeted the Houthis in Yemen on Wednesday. The British PM condemned the strike as &ldquo;unacceptable&rdquo; and a &ldquo;flagrant violation&rdquo; of Qatar&rsquo;s sovereignty. Despite this, the British premier did not shy away from endorsing the U.K.&rsquo;s longstanding relationship with Israel.&nbsp;&nbsp;Cracks forming&nbsp;Starmer&rsquo;s meeting with Herzog did reveal deep disagreements on key issues, including the U.K.&rsquo;s intention to recognize a Palestinian state unless Israel meets certain conditions&mdash;agreeing to a ceasefire and allowing aid access.&nbsp;The Israeli President described the talks as &ldquo;tough&rdquo; but respectful, saying he welcomed the opportunity for open debate between two democratic allies.&nbsp;Starmer meets Palestinian Authority president &nbsp;Earlier in the week, Starmer also met Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, agreeing there must be &ldquo;absolutely no role&rdquo; for Hamas in any future Palestinian government.&nbsp;The U.K. has been under pressure domestically to adopt a tougher stance on Israel&rsquo;s war crimes in Gaza, while Starmer has insisted that diplomacy remains essential to securing a ceasefire and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas.&nbsp;&nbsp;Starmer&rsquo;s decision to meet Israeli President amid worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza was sharply criticized within the U.K. Scottish National Party leader Stephen Flynn blasted the British PM for hosting Herzog while children starved in Gaza.&nbsp;Herzog: A controversial figureWhile the role of a president is mostly ceremonial in Israel, Isaac Herzog is a controversial leader in his own right. He blamed Gaza&rsquo;s entire population for the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. He also personally signed artillery shells fired at Gaza.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer sits with Israel's President Isaac Herzog as he visits 10 Downing Street in London, Sept. 10, 2025. Alberto PezzaliPool via REUTERS.avif

Europe

The rare public rebuke by a Western leader toward Israel is part of rising concerns over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, 

Articles tagged with "humanitarian crisis in Gaza"

Two in three Gaza children are rotting in plague-ridden camps

Israel allows limited movement through Rafah crossing into Gaza

Amnesty International, 52 aid groups warn Israel threatens Gaza aid operations

Pakistan, Palestine launch forum to rebuild Gaza’s higher education sector

Democratic-led US Senate resolution seeks recognition of Palestinian state

UK PM condemns Gaza blockade in tense meeting with Israeli President