Gaza's bakeries could shut down within a week under Israel's blockade of all food and supplies

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza’s bakeries will run out of flour for bread within a week, the U.N. says. Agencies have cut food distributions to families in half. Markets are empty of most vegetables. Many aid workers cannot move around because of Israeli bombardment.

For four weeks, Israel has shut off all sources of food, fuel, medicine and other supplies for the Gaza Strip’s population of more than 2 million Palestinians. It’s the longest blockade yet of Israel’s 17-month-old campaign against Hamas, with no sign of it ending. Many are going hungry during the normally festive Eid al-Fitr, a major Muslim holiday.

Aid workers are stretching out the supplies they have but warn of a catastrophic surge in severe hunger and malnutrition. Eventually, food will run out completely if the flow of aid is not restored, because the war has destroyed almost all local food production in Gaza.

“We depend entirely on this aid box,” said Shorouq Shamlakh, a mother of three collecting her family’s monthly box of food from a U.N. distribution center in Jabaliya in northern Gaza. She and her children reduce their meals to make it last a month, she said. “If this closes, who else will provide us with food?”

The World Food Program said Thursday that its flour for bakeries is only enough to keep producing bread for 800,000 people a day until Tuesday and that its overall food supplies will last a maximum of two weeks. As a “last resort” once all other food is exhausted, it has emergency stocks of fortified nutritional biscuits for 415,000 people.

Fuel and medicine will last weeks longer before hitting zero. Hospitals are rationing antibiotics and painkillers. Aid groups are shifting limited fuel supplies between multiple needs, all indispensable — trucks to move aid, bakeries to make bread, wells and desalination plants to produce water, hospitals to keep machines running.

“We have to make impossible choices. Everything is needed,” said Clémence Lagouardat, the Gaza response leader for Oxfam International, speaking from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza at a briefing Wednesday. “It’s extremely hard to prioritize.”

Compounding the problems, Israel resumed its military campaign on March 18 with bombardment that has killed hundreds of Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to health officials. It has hit humanitarian facilities, the U.N. says. New evacuation orders have forced more than 140,000 Palestinians to move yet again.

But Israel has not resumed the system for aid groups to notify the military of their movements to ensure they were not hit by bombardment, multiple aid workers said. As a result, various groups have stopped water deliveries, nutrition for malnourished children and other programs because it's not safe for teams to move.

COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of coordinating aid, said the system was halted during the ceasefire. Now it is implemented in some areas “in accordance with policy and operational assessments ... based on the situation on the ground,” COGAT said, without elaborating.

During the 42 days of ceasefire that began in mid-January, aid groups rushed in significant amounts of aid. Food also streamed into commercial markets.

But nothing has entered Gaza since Israel cut off that flow on March 2. Israel says the siege and renewed military campaign aim to force Hamas to accept changes in their agreed-on ceasefire deal and release more hostages.

Fresh produce is now rare in Gaza’s markets. Meat, chicken, potatoes, yogurt, eggs and fruits are completely gone, Palestinians say.

Prices for everything else have skyrocketed out of reach for many Palestinians. A kilo (2 pounds) of onions can cost the equivalent of $14, a kilo of tomatoes goes for $6, if they can be found. Cooking gas prices have spiraled as much as 30-fold, so families are back to scrounging for wood to make fires.

“It’s totally insane,” said Abeer al-Aker, a teacher and mother of three in Gaza City. “No food, no services. … I believe that the famine has started again. ”

At the distribution center in Jabaliya, Rema Megat sorted through the food ration box for her family of 10: rice, lentils, a few cans of sardines, a half kilo of sugar, two packets of powdered milk.

“It’s not enough to last a month,” she said. “This kilo of rice will be used up in one go.”

The U.N. has cut its distribution of food rations in half to redirect more supplies to bakeries and free kitchens producing prepared meals, said Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian agency, known as OCHA.

The number of prepared meals has grown 25% to 940,000 meals a day, she said, and bakeries are churning out more bread. But that burns through supplies faster.

Once flour runs out soon, “there will be no bread production happening in a large part of Gaza,” said Gavin Kelleher, with the Norwegian Refugee Council.

UNRWA, the main U.N. agency for Palestinians, only has a few thousand food parcels left and enough flour for a few days, said Sam Rose, the agency's acting director in Gaza.

Gaza Soup Kitchen, one of the main public kitchens, can’t get any meat or much produce, so they serve rice with canned vegetables, co-founder Hani Almadhoun said.

“There are a lot more people showing up, and they’re more desperate. So people are fighting for food,” he said.

The United States pressured Israel to let aid into Gaza at the beginning of the war in October 2023, after Israel imposed a blockade of about two weeks. This time, it has supported Israel’s policy.

Rights groups have called it a “starvation policy” that could be a war crime.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told a news conference Monday that “Israel is acting in accordance with international law.”

He accused Hamas of stealing aid and said Israel is not required to let in supplies if it will be diverted to combatants.

He gave no indication of whether the siege could be lifted but said Gaza had enough supplies, pointing to the aid that flowed in during the ceasefire.

Because its teams can’t coordinate movements with the military, Save the Children suspended programs providing nutrition to malnourished children, said Rachael Cummings, the group’s humanitarian response leader in Gaza.

“We are expecting an increase in the rate of malnutrition,” she said. “Not only children — adolescent girls, pregnant women.”

During the ceasefire, Save the Children was able to bring some 4,000 malnourished infants and children back to normal weight, said Alexandra Saif, the group’s head of humanitarian policy.

About 300 malnourished patients a day were coming into its clinic in Deir al-Balah, she said. The numbers have plunged — to zero on some days — because patients are too afraid of bombardment, she said.

The multiple crises are intertwined. Malnutrition leaves kids vulnerable to pneumonia, diarrhea and other diseases. Lack of clean water and crowded conditions only spread more illnesses. Hospitals overwhelmed with the wounded can’t use their limited supplies on other patients.

Aid workers say not only Palestinians, but their own staff have begun to fall into despair.

“The world has lost its compass,” UNRWA’s Rose said. “There’s just a feeling here that anything could happen, and it still wouldn’t be enough for the world to say, this is enough.”

Magdy and Keath reported from Cairo, El Deeb from Beirut. AP correspondents Fatma Khaled in Cairo and Julia Frankel and Sam Mednick in Jerusalem contributed.

Muslim worshippers offer Eid al-Fitr prayer in the mixed Arab Jewish city of Jaffa, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip sit in a makeshift tent camp inside a landfill in central Gaza Strip, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

People walking surrounded by buildings destroyed during the Israeli air and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip are seen from southern Israel, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Displaced Palestinians, carrying their belongings traveling from Beit Hanoun to Jabaliya, a day after Israel's renewed offensive in the Gaza Strip, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Displaced Palestinians, who flee from Rafah amidst ongoing Israeli military operations following Israel's renewed offensive in the Gaza Strip, arrive in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians receive bags of flour and other humanitarian aid distributed by UNRWA, the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees in Jabaliya, Gaza Strip on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians receive bags of flour and other humanitarian aid distributed by UNRWA, the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees in Jabaliya, Gaza Strip on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinian wait get donated food at a distribution center in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians receive bags of flour and other humanitarian aid distributed by UNRWA, the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees in Jabaliya, Gaza Strip on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

A Palestinian girl struggles as she and others try to get donated food at a distribution center in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

NEW YORK (AP) — Michigan State's Tre Holloman plans to end his college career at another school and Xavier Booker is shooting for a fresh start.

Holloman's agent, Brandon Grier, said the guard entered the transfer portal and informed coach Tom Izzo of his decision on Tuesday.

The program later confirmed Booker and Gehrig Normand also entered the portal.

Holloman averaged 9.1 points and 3.7 assists as a junior for the Big Ten champion Spartans, whose season ended Sunday against Auburn in the NCAA Tournament. He was 0 for 10, including five 3-point attempts, and scored two points in a six-point loss to the top-seeded Tigers in the South Region final.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Minneapolis native had a career-high 20 points in a win over Michigan last month and made a career-high four 3-pointers in a first-round victory over Bryant in the NCAA Tournament.

Booker signed with the Spartans as one of Izzo's highest-rated recruits and didn't approach expectations, averaging 4.7 points last season as a sophomore and 3.7 points as a freshman. He fell so far out of the rotation that he didn't play in the team's last three NCAA Tournament games.

The 6-11, 240-pound center from Indianapolis, though, will likely field a lot of offers because of his size and flashes of potential he had over two seasons.

Connecticut freshman forward Liam McNeeley, who averaged 14.5 points a game, announced on social media he's entering the NBA draft.

Normand joined Holloman and Booker in the portal after scoring a total of eight points in 13 games as a redshirt freshman last season.

At St. John's, coach Rick Pitino has been busy replenishing his roster in the portal.

Coming off its most successful season in decades, the school announced Monday that former Arizona State guard Joson Sanon and ex-Providence forward Bryce Hopkins were signing with the Red Storm.

The duo should help replace RJ Luis Jr., a second-team All-American and the 2025 Big East player of the year. Luis is declaring for the NBA draft while retaining his eligibility and entering the portal, his agent told ESPN last weekend.

St. John's also loses seniors Kadary Richmond, Aaron Scott and Deivon Smith, meaning four of its top five scorers from 2024-25 won't be back next season. They teamed with power forward Zuby Ejiofor to lead the Red Storm to a pair of Big East championships this year and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament before they lost to 10th-seeded Arkansas 75-66 in the second round.

The 19-year-old Sanon, a five-star prospect coming out of high school, averaged 11.9 points in 28.3 minutes per game during his freshman season with the Sun Devils and has three years of eligibility remaining. The 6-foot-5 guard shot 36.9% from 3-point range, which should help a Johnnies team that struggled from the perimeter this season. He averaged 18.8 points over his last five games.

“Joson is a great shooter, really good athlete and has absolutely outstanding potential,” Pitino, the 72-year-old Hall of Fame coach, said.

Hopkins was a first-team All-Big East selection in 2023 at Providence but missed most of the past two seasons because of injuries. He averaged 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds in 50 games over three years with the Friars after beginning his college career at Kentucky in 2021-22.

The 6-foot-7 Hopkins started 14 games in 2023-24 before a torn ACL ended his season. He returned in early December 2024 but played in just three games, averaging 17.0 points and 7.7 rebounds, before a bone bruise sidelined him for the rest of the season.

“Bryce reminds me so much of Zuby from a personality standpoint,” Pitino said. “He’s selfless, humble, hardworking and has outstanding talent. I worked him out and was extremely impressed with his abilities in so many areas. He will be a great replacement for the void left with RJ moving on to the pros.”

Pitino guided St. John's to a 31-5 record this season, equaling a school best for wins, and a No. 5 ranking in the AP Top 25 that marked its highest since 1991. The program won its first outright Big East regular-season title in 40 years, its first conference tournament crown in a quarter-century, and earned its first NCAA Tournament victory since 2000.

AP Sports Writer Larry Lage in Michigan contributed to this report.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo reacts to play against Auburn during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Michigan State guard Tre Holloman (5) shoots against Auburn center Dylan Cardwell (44) during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Michigan State guard Tre Holloman walks off the court after the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Auburn, Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)