DaysofPal—The Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza sounded the alarm over an impending humanitarian catastrophe, as more than 40,000 infants under the age of one face the threat of slow and painful death due to the continued Israeli blockade on baby formula, now in place for over 150 consecutive days.
In a statement issued Monday, the Government Media Office in Gaza condemned the Israeli occupation for the “silent genocide” targeting the most vulnerable segment of the population, infants, by deliberately depriving them of vital nutrition.
The ban, part of a wider siege that has crippled the Strip for nearly two years, has brought the region to the brink of a new and devastating health crisis.
Dr. Munir al-Bursh, Director-General of the Gaza Ministry of Health, revealed that 133 people, including 87 children, have already died as a direct result of hunger and malnutrition.
He warned that the number is likely to rise sharply in the coming days if humanitarian aid is not allowed in immediately.
“This is not merely a food shortage; it is a systematic policy of starvation that violates every principle of human rights and international humanitarian law,” Dr. al-Bursh said.
He emphasized that Gaza’s healthcare system is barely functioning and that emergency supplies, including infant formula, are urgently needed.
The warning comes amid a broader humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, where the ongoing Israeli genocide, now in its 22nd month (661 days), has already killed over 20,000 children and left tens of thousands more injured, orphaned, or displaced. Thousands of children are now living in tents, makeshift shelters, or the ruins of their destroyed homes, with little access to food, clean water, or medical care.
The Government Media Office urged the international community, particularly the United Nations, World Health Organization, and human rights organizations, to act immediately to pressure Israel into lifting the blockade and allowing the entry of baby formula, medicine, and humanitarian relief.
“Every day of delay costs more innocent lives,” the statement read.
It added that “The world must not stay silent while infants are starved to death in front of our eyes.”
The call for action comes amid growing criticism of Israel’s ongoing siege and military campaign in Gaza, which many international observers and rights groups have described as collective punishment and a violation of international humanitarian law.
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