Gaza Hunger Crisis Narrows Lifeline Network as CMG Delivers Thousands of Meals Each Month
Hanna Massad, longtime pastor now based in the United States, continues to keep a close vigil on the plight of his former neighbors and church members still living in Gaza. A trusted friend from Gaza Baptist Church conveyed a sobering message: “all the people in the churches are feeling dizzy and have started experiencing health issues” amid a broad food shortage. A Muslim friend added that finding enough food to feed his family has become increasingly difficult.
In response, Massad’s nonprofit, Christian Mission to Gaza (CMG), under the umbrella of Gaza Baptist Church, is sustaining a critical lifeline for civilians. CMG distributes between 2,000 and 3,000 hot meals to Gazans each month, coordinating with a network of kitchens across Gaza where meals are prepared and individually wrapped for safe transport. The goal is to reach tent camps and other displacement sites where families have sought shelter, Massad notes.
Funding and logistics are as challenging as the need. Donations gathered abroad enable CMG to purchase ingredients, but the organization must constantly hunt for the lowest prices in a tightening market. The scarcity of meat has markedly raised meal costs; Massad says meals now typically consist of rice with occasional vegetables such as eggplant, bringing the per-meal price to roughly $7–$10.
Since the outbreak of war, CMG has handed out more than 47,000 hot meals to both Christians and the broader Muslim community and has supported distribution of clean drinking water. Massad emphasizes that the ministry aims to send a “clear message of love and care during this time of deep suffering.”
Hunger in Gaza has reached alarming levels, with the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification highlighting the specter of famine in some scenarios. In a contrasting assessment, Haviv Rettig Gur, a right-leaning Israeli commentator, warned that the hunger crisis is real and represents a “dramatic and strategic mistake on the part of Israel.” The World Health Organization reported last month that 63 people, including 24 children under five, died due to malnutrition-related complications, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted there is no starvation in Gaza.
The landscape of aid distribution has shifted since the end of Israel’s blockade in May. The US-backed, Israeli-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has taken a central role in distributing food, though criticisms persist. The United Nations has cautioned that GHF’s approach risks endangering Palestinians, with aid needing to cross Israeli military lines to reach GHF’s four sites and questions about the sufficiency of aid delivered.
International responses have intensified. France, Britain, Canada, and Australia have signaled plans to formally recognize a state of Palestine. In the U.S., Republican voices long allied with Israel are calling for sharper scrutiny of war strategy—Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has labeled Gaza’s hunger crisis an act of “genocide.” President Donald Trump acknowledged “real starvation” in Gaza and placed responsibility, in part, on Israel for the limited food aid available.
Analysts and press freedom advocates caution that verifiable reporting from Gaza remains hard to obtain. Joshua Youssef, president and CEO of Help the Persecuted, urges Christians to approach the crisis with nuance. He notes that both Hamas and local authorities can distort narratives, and that international reporters have faced restricted access. Help the Persecuted, which supports Christians across the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, acknowledges the complexities of aid delivery and the scrutiny faced by organizations on the ground.
“Getting verified information out of Gaza is difficult,” Youssef said. “This seems like a combination of chaos, war is hell, and both sides trying to control the narrative, with one side really trying to control it.” He stressed that while negligence in aid delivery may occur, he does not believe Israel is intentionally starving Palestinians. The situation, he says, is shaped by a tangled web of operational realities, security concerns, and local resistance to successful humanitarian campaigns moving forward.
Youssef also pointed to the UN’s own challenges, noting that bias and procedural hurdles can hinder relief for vulnerable populations, including Christian converts seeking refugee status. He cited examples from Help the Persecuted’s network, which includes 20 safe houses and experiences of UN hiring practices that, in some cases, have limited positive outcomes for minorities.
A note of complexity closes the circle: Graeme Blaiklock, founder of divinestreamradio.com and Godstreamradio.com, is mentioned as serving on the Australian board of Help the Persecuted, a detail that underscores how interconnected faith-based media, humanitarian groups, and international advocacy have become in this fraught landscape.
As Gaza’s crisis persists, CMG’s steady stream of hot meals—delivered with dignity and care—remains a testament to faith-based compassion in the midst of war. Massad and his partners say their mission is not just to feed bodies, but to remind Gaza’s civilians that they are seen, valued, and loved in a time of acute suffering.
