Israel's tightened blockade on Gaza is plunging the territory into a humanitarian catastrophe, with famine spreading rapidly and leaving hundreds of thousands of residents on the brink of starvation. Residents like Abdul Karim Saidam, a father of six from the Nuseirat refugee camp, face grueling, hours-long waits for scarce food aid. Since March 2, when the first phase of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas ended, Israel has tightened its blockade on Gaza, sharply reducing the entry of food, fuel, and humanitarian aid. On Friday, United Nations agencies released a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, stating that more than half a million people in Gaza are trapped in famine, marked by widespread starvation, destitution and preventable deaths. This is the first time since the report was established over 20 years ago that a famine has been officially confirmed in the Middle East. Palestinian health authorities said on Saturday that eight more Palestinians, including two children, died from starvation and malnutrition over the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll of such fatalities to 281 in the latest round of the conflicts. Shotlist: Gaza Strip - Recent: 1. Various of displaced people scrambling for food; 2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abdul Karim Saidam, displaced Gazan (partially overlaid with shot 3): "I want to get food for my children so I can feed them. Making a living is hard, as you can see. The crossings are closed. There's nothing we can do. The situation is difficult. The economic situation we're in is hard. I come here to feed my children. I come early in the morning to stand in line until noon. So, I can get cooked food for my children, and then I go back home to feed them. We stay until 12 o'clock filling food. We come in the morning from 8:00 until 12:00. I send a message: May Allah relieve us, things get better, and the siege ends."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 3. Various of displaced people scrambling for food; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Gaza Strip - July 21, 2025 4. Various of funeral of people who died of famine in progress, mourners; 5. Body being transported. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]