Residents in the northern part of the war-torn Gaza Strip, where life has been reduced to a daily struggle for survival, are compelled to trek over 10 kilometers to the Zikim aid entry point just to secure a single bag of flour, facing heat and gunfire along the way. As hostilities stretch into their twenty-second consecutive month, food insecurity in the region is rising sharply, with flour -- the staple of most meals -- becoming increasingly scarce. Gaza has been teetering on the brink of famine for two years, but recent developments have "dramatically worsened" the situation, including "increasingly stringent blockades" by Israel, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a global standardized tool for assessing food insecurity severity, said in July. Humanitarian relief efforts remain severely inadequate. While Israel has permitted limited airdrops and some aid convoys, the assistance that has entered Gaza remains insufficient, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Meanwhile, large numbers of people reportedly continue to be killed and injured while attempting to obtain food. A total of 1,373 aid seekers have been killed in the Gaza Strip since late May, most of them by the Israeli military, said the UN's human rights office on Aug 1. The Zikim crossing is the only aid entry point in northern Gaza, and local residents' journey to obtain flour at the crossing has been perilous. Gazans face a grim choice: confront gunfire to secure food or risk starvation, said Mohammed Al-Arabi, a local resident. "Anyone seeking food must face the risk of death to reach the crossing. People are now convinced that only by confronting death can they obtain food and water. If someone needs flour, they have only two options: risk their lives to get here or beg on the streets," he said. "The distance from where I live now to the Zikim crossing is about 15 to 20 kilometers, which is quite far. When I get close to the crossing, I have to crawl another 3 kilometers and hide under a large mound, lying flat on the ground as the gunfire rips through the air. Many people by my side are shot or even killed, and the situation is extremely dangerous. As the famine worsens, we in Gaza see flour as 'white gold,' essential for our survival," he said. "There are six people (in my family) -- myself, my wife, and our four children. These days, holding a bag of flour feels like the happiest moment of our lives. Even a 25 or 50-kilogram bag doesn't feel heavy. In normal times, I wouldn't have been able to carry even 10 kilograms this far," he added. Despite the risks and hardships of the journey, Gazans remain determined to secure life-saving flour for their starving families. "We risk our lives just to get food for our children. We have been trekking here for six days straight just to obtain a bag of flour because we're out at home. The Israeli army opened fire on us, resulting in dozens dead and wounded. I walked nearly 12 kilometers from the Sheikh Radwan area to Zikim, exhausted and under fire. Now I'm heading home, and I believe the children will be very happy to see that I finally got this bag of flour," said Youssef Khater, another resident. "This is my experience today: I went to the Zikim crossing to bring back some food for the children. Hunger is consuming them, threatening their lives. Although I have been injured before, I pushed through just to get this bag of flour and make a pancake for them," said Gaza resident Ahmed Abu Al-Naja. SHOTLIST: Gaza Strip - Aug 9, 2025 1. Various of Gazans trekking to get food aid; 2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohammed Al-Arabi, local resident (ending with shot 3): "Anyone seeking food must face the risk of death to reach the crossing. People are now convinced that only by confronting death can they obtain food and water. If someone needs flour, they have only two options: risk their lives to get here or beg on the streets."; 3. Gazans trekking to get food aid; 4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohammed Al-Arabi, local resident (with reporter asking questions) (partially overlaid with shot 5): (Reporter: "How long do you have to trek every time?") "The distance from where I live now to the Zikim crossing is about 15 to 20 kilometers, which is quite far. When I get close to the crossing, I have to crawl another 3 kilometers and hide under a large mound, lying flat on the ground as the gunfire rips through the air. Many people by my side are shot or even killed, and the situation is extremely dangerous. As the famine worsens, we in Gaza see flour as 'white gold,' essential for our survival." (Reporter: "How many people are there in your family?") "There are six people (in my family) -- myself, my wife, and our four children. These days, holding a bag of flour feels like the happiest moment of our lives. Even a 25 or 50-kilogram bag doesn't feel heavy. In normal times, I wouldn't have been able to carry even 10 kilograms this far." (Reporter: "But now, you have no choice.") "But now, I have no choice. My joy comes from this bag of flour. I have walked three or four kilometers, but I don't notice the weight on my shoulders at all."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 5. Gazans on vehicle; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 6. Throngs of Gazans trekking; 7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Youssef Khater, local resident (partially overlaid with shot 8/ending with shot 9): "We risk our lives just to get food for our children. We have been trekking here for six days straight just to obtain a bag of flour because we're out at home. The Israeli army opened fire on us, resulting in dozens dead and wounded. I walked nearly 12 kilometers from the Sheikh Radwan area to Zikim, exhausted and under fire. Now I'm heading home, and I believe the children will be very happy to see that I finally got this bag of flour."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 8. Gazans trekking; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 9. Gazans trekking; 10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmed Abu Al-Naja, local resident: "This is my experience today: I went to the Zikim crossing to bring back some food for the children. Hunger is consuming them, threatening their lives. Although I have been injured before, I pushed through just to get this bag of flour and make a pancake for them."; 11. Gazans trekking. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]