Gaza — At least 15 people, including four children, have died in the past 24 hours due to starvation and malnutrition in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. T
he ministry attributed the deaths directly to the Israeli blockade, which has severely limited the flow of food, clean water, and essential medical supplies into the besieged enclave.
In a statement issued Monday, the Health Ministry said the growing number of deaths reflects a deepening humanitarian catastrophe. It brings the official death toll from hunger-related causes to 101, including 80 children, since Israel began its military campaign on Gaza in October 2023.
Medical professionals in northern and southern Gaza have reported an alarming rise in cases of acute malnutrition, dehydration, and related complications—especially among children, the elderly, and patients with chronic illnesses. Many of the region’s remaining hospitals and field clinics are operating without electricity, clean water, or consistent medical supplies.
War and Siege Driving Mass Starvation
The latest figures come amid growing international concern about the famine-like conditions in Gaza. Humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations and Doctors Without Borders, have repeatedly warned that Israel’s siege—combined with the destruction of farmlands, bakeries, and food storage facilities—has created an environment where starvation is being used as a weapon of war.
Israel has maintained tight control over the entry of aid trucks, especially into northern Gaza, where hunger is most severe. Though some aid has been allowed into southern areas through coordinated efforts with international actors, distribution remains extremely limited, chaotic, and often dangerous due to ongoing fighting.
Earlier this year, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take immediate steps to facilitate humanitarian aid and avoid conditions that could lead to genocide. Despite this, rights groups say the situation continues to deteriorate, and Israel has not complied with the ICJ’s provisional measures.
Global Outcry Grows
UN agencies estimate that over a million Palestinians in Gaza are facing “catastrophic” levels of food insecurity, with many surviving on less than one meal a day. The World Food Programme previously reported that famine is imminent without a dramatic and immediate scale-up in humanitarian access.
Palestinian officials have called on the international community to pressure Israel into lifting the blockade and allowing the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid. “The world is watching children die not from bombs, but from empty stomachs,” one Gaza-based health official said.
As the war nears the 10-month mark, Gaza’s population of over 2.3 million continues to suffer under one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history. Without urgent international action, health officials warn, the death toll from starvation will rise sharply in the coming days.
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