Father of four Mahmoud Al Haw and other Palestinians crowd around a soup kitchen in war-ravaged Gaza, surging forward and frantically waving pots.
Small children, squashed at the front, are in tears. One of them holds up a plastic basin hoping for some ladles of soup. Haw pushes forward in the scrum until he receives his share.
Haw does this every day because he fears his children are starving.
He sets out through the ruins of Jabaliya in northern Gaza in search of food, waiting in panicked crowds for up to six hours to get barely enough to feed his family.
Some days, he gets lucky and can find lentil soup. Other days, he returns empty-handed.
“I have a sick daughter. I can’t provide her with anything. There is no bread, there is nothing,” said Haw, 39.
“I’m here since eight in the morning, just to get one plate for six people while it is not enough for one person.”
Israel has blocked the entry of medical, food and fuel supplies into Gaza since the start of March, prompting international experts to warn of looming famine in the besieged enclave that is home to 2.3 million Palestinians.
“I wish everyone would stand by us. Our children are dying slowly,” said Haw.
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