International pressure on Israel intensified on 3 August as senior officials warned that Gaza is sliding into famine and demanded both humanitarian access and the release of hostages held by Hamas. The United Nations Human Rights Office said it was “shocked and angry” at the continued killing of emergency workers, while the World Food Programme and UNICEF repeated calls for an immediate cease-fire to prevent mass starvation. French President Emmanuel Macron said France’s “absolute priority” is the immediate liberation of all captives in the enclave and urged the large-scale delivery of aid stalled at Gaza’s crossings. He added that a two-state settlement is the only route to regional security and insisted that Hamas be fully disarmed and excluded from governance. Germany’s foreign minister blamed Israel’s blockade for causing famine, death and widespread suffering, and asked that UN relief agencies be granted unrestricted entry. Britain’s foreign secretary echoed the demand for the unconditional release of hostages and the surrender of Hamas’s weapons. The warnings coincide with mounting domestic pressure inside Israel, where families of captives and public figures are urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike a deal with Hamas. Aid agencies say two of the three internationally recognised famine thresholds have already been met in parts of Gaza, underscoring the urgency of opening sustained corridors for food, water, medicine and fuel.