DayofPal– The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached catastrophic proportions, with starvation now claiming the lives of elderly Palestinians under Israel’s ongoing siege, according to a report released Saturday by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor.
The Geneva-based organization revealed that 14 elderly Gazans have died over the past week due to acute malnutrition, describing the situation as a “silent death wave” sweeping the besieged enclave.
The group warned that the deadly living conditions, exacerbated by Israel’s comprehensive blockade, are no longer limited to the most vulnerable but are impacting the entire population of Gaza.
“Starvation is no longer confined to the weak or ill. It is indiscriminate and now threatens every resident in Gaza,” the organization stated.
Euro-Med reported that most of the recent elderly victims suffered from severe anemia and critical deficiencies in essential proteins and minerals.
Local hospitals, already crippled by the blockade, have reportedly admitted dozens of elderly patients in critical condition due to extreme malnutrition.
The human rights monitor also criticized the lack of a functioning tracking system within Gaza’s Health Ministry, noting that many starvation-related deaths are misclassified as “natural,” thereby obscuring the scale of the crisis.
“These are not natural deaths,” the organization emphasized. “They follow a systematic pattern that suggests intentional deprivation, an act prohibited under international humanitarian and criminal law.”
Since March 2, Israel has enforced a total siege on the Gaza Strip, halting the flow of food, water, medicine, and fuel.
Humanitarian agencies, including several United Nations bodies, have repeatedly issued dire warnings that a full-scale famine is imminent. According to the rights group, no humanitarian aid has entered the territory since early March, and most established delivery routes remain sealed.
In the 19 months since Israel launched its military campaign, more than 172,000 Palestinians have been reported killed or injured, with thousands still missing under the rubble or unaccounted for.
The blockade has now driven hunger deep into all layers of Gazan society, with the elderly and children increasingly succumbing to the effects of deprivation.
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