Foreign Policy Brief #209 | Ibra Castro | August 1, 2025
Two-year-old Yazan, severely malnourished, lives in the Shati (Beach) refugee camp in Gaza City. His mother, Naima, says, “We have not had flour or any food assistance for two months.” Yazan sits on a torn piece of foam, his wide eyes heavy with exhaustion, his thin body clearly showing signs of acute hunger. Malnutrition has spread rapidly among children in the Gaza Strip, with rates in Gaza City rising fourfold since February. UNICEF/UNI838255/El Baba
Israel’s blockade and starvation in Gaza
Palestinians in Gaza are now experiencing full blown famine as the total Israeli blockade, which for months made the extreme situation in the strip even worse as no food, water, medicine or fuel has been allowed to make its way into the strip. International humanitarian aid organizations, the UN and a majority of countries around the world acknowledge the forced starvation taking place in Gaza and expressed condemnation towards the Israeli government. Meanwhile various Israeli officials continue to deny the existence of mass starvation, claiming without evidence that Hamas steals and hoards aid and hinges blame on failures by the UN and its officials.
Following the barring of the UN and the criticism of its complete blockade of aid, Israel implemented a new humanitarian aid organization, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) , a controversial organization whose aid delivery model does not follow established humanitarian principles of neutral, independent, impartial, and safe aid distribution. It is estimated that the IDF at GHF sites have killed over 1,000 people at aid distribution sites since it began operations. Israel has also banned fishing and patrols the waters along Gaza’s coast to ensure no boats are launched from the shore. Some of Israel’s most important Western allies, under political pressure from voters appalled by mounting evidence of forced starvation in Gaza, now say that they will recognize a Palestinian state. In response to the international condemnation Israeli PM Netanyahu has promised only “minimal” aid would be allowed to enter. Yet the number of food trucks entering the territory is still well below the minimum needed to feed Palestinians there, much less reverse a famine.
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet (L) and Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai shake hands as Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim puts his arms around them after announcing the ceasefire on Monday. Mohd Rasfan/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Thailand-Cambodia border conflict
Last week fighting flared up between Thailand and Cambodia after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes and both countries recalled their ambassadors. Thailand closed its border crossings with Cambodia, with an exception only for migrant Cambodian workers returning home. At least 35 people have been killed, over 200 injured, and more than 200,000 displaced since the fighting broke out.
Thailand and Cambodia have engaged militarily on and off for decades over un-demarcated areas along their 508-mile border, with ownership of ancient temples central to the disputes. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and acting Thai PM Phumtham Wechayachai both attended a peace summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, that was co-organized by China with the backing of the United States. Soon after the meeting Thailand and Cambodia reached a shaky ceasefire deal that was then quickly broken with both sides accusing the other of launching attacks in the other’s territory, though after the quick flare up in attacks both sides have since reaffirmed their commitment to the ceasefire and time will reveal if it holds or falls apart.
A man attempts to cool off during a heatwave in Iran’s capital Tehran [File: Atta Kenare/AFP]
Iran’s extreme heatwave and water crisis
Published On 20 Jul 2025
Last week Iran experienced its hottest week of the year, according to the national meteorological service, with temperatures exceeding 120 degrees fahrenheit (50c) in some areas. On top of the extreme heat, Iran is in the middle of a serious water crisis. The country has been in drought for five years, with rainfall even lower this year. The minister of energy, Abbas Aliabadi, announced last week that negotiations to import water from Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were underway. The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, issued a stark warning during a recent cabinet meeting saying, “The water crisis is more serious than what is being discussed today, and if we do not take urgent action now, we will face a situation in the future for which no remedy can be found.”
Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Colombian President Gustavo Petro attend the Democracy Always summit, in Santiago, Chile, July 21, 2025 (AP photo by Esteban Felix)
Chile’s Democracy Summit
On July 21, leaders from five countries gathered in Santiago, Chile, with the aim of propelling a global battle against the rising anti-democratic far right. In attendance was Chilean President Gabriel Boric, President Lula da Silva of Brazil, President Gustavo Petro of Colombia, Uruguay’s President Yamandu Orsi and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Though small, the group has committed to holding further summits and expanding participating countries and bringing forth proposals to be presented to the wider international community at the next UN General Assembly meeting in New York in September. Spain’s PM Sanchez saidat the meeting that, “Our societies face a real threat led by a coalition of interests between oligarchs and the far-right” – a coalition of “hatred and lies that is advancing dangerously.”
Tsunami-hit Severo-Kurilsk on Paramushir island in Russia’s northern Kuril Islands. Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences / AFP via Getty Images
Earthquake in Russia and tsunami alert for nations on the Pacific
A massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck last week off Russia’s remote Far East and sparked tsunami warnings and evacuations across the Pacific. Following the main quake dozens of aftershocks of magnitude 5 or greater were recorded. The quake itself was one of the strongest ever recorded and occurred along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the ring of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where more than 80% of the world’s largest quakes occur as several tectonic plates meet there. Multiple countries situated in the Pacific or with coasts along the Pacific, from Russia to Tahiti to Chile, braced for impact. While not all earthquakes lead to tsunamis, this one coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula generated a series of them spreading outward from its epicenter towards other territories. Though thankfully after hours of tension and evacuations no major damage was reported and the waves had limited impact upon reaching land.