89 children among 154 people died of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza since October 2023
Seven more Palestinians died from starvation in the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours amid a choking Israeli blockade, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
“Hospitals recorded seven fatalities in Gaza in the past 24 hours as a result of famine and malnutrition,” the ministry said in a statement.
The new deaths brought the death toll from starvation since October 2023 to 154, including 89 children.
Last week, the UN World Food Program (WFP) warned that one-third of Gaza’s population had gone without food for several consecutive days due to the Israeli siege.
According to WFP estimates, one in four Palestinians in Gaza faces famine-like conditions, and 100,000 women and children are suffering from acute malnutrition.
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza for 18 years, and since March 2 has sealed all border crossings, blocking the entry of humanitarian aid and worsening already dire conditions in the enclave.
Palestinian officials say that a minimum of 500 aid trucks are needed per day to meet the needs of the territory’s 2.4 million population.
The Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 60,000 Palestinians. The relentless bombardment has devastated the enclave and led to food shortages.
On Monday, Israeli rights groups B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, citing the systematic destruction of Palestinian society and the deliberate dismantling of the territory’s healthcare system.
