The humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip has reached yet another grim milestone, as hospitals reported five more deaths from starvation and malnutrition in the past 24 hours — including two children.

The latest fatalities bring the death toll from famine and malnutrition to 217 Palestinians, among them 100 children, since the start of the Israeli-imposed siege.

The worsening famine is a direct consequence of Israel’s deliberate blockade, compounded by the genocidal war it has been waging against Gaza since October 7, 2023. The assault has not only killed tens of thousands but has also systematically destroyed the Strip’s capacity to produce or receive basic food and medical supplies.

Crossings Shut, Aid Strangled

Since March 2, 2025, the Israeli occupation authorities have completely sealed all crossings into Gaza, cutting off the flow of most humanitarian aid. This blockade has been widely condemned by humanitarian organizations as a war crime, yet it continues unabated. Food, medicine, and other essential supplies are deliberately withheld, pushing the besieged population deeper into starvation.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has sounded the alarm, reporting that malnutrition among children under five doubled between March and June. The World Health Organization confirmed that almost one in five children in Gaza City is now suffering from acute malnutrition — a figure that health experts describe as catastrophic and entirely man-made.

Genocide in Full View

According to the latest figures from Gaza’s health authorities, the ongoing Israeli genocide has claimed the lives of 61,369 Palestinians and injured 152,850 others, the vast majority being women and children. More than 11,000 people remain missing, many believed to be buried under rubble, while hundreds of thousands have been displaced.

Despite repeated international calls — and even binding orders from the International Court of Justice — to halt its crimes, Israel has pressed on with policies of killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement.

A Siege Meant to Kill

Human rights organizations stress that famine in Gaza is not a natural disaster but a weapon of war — a calculated strategy to break the will of the Palestinian people by denying them the basic means of survival.

Every hour that the siege continues, more lives are lost — especially the most vulnerable: infants, children, the elderly, and the sick. Gaza’s voice to the world is clear: the genocide must end, the blockade must be lifted, and the perpetrators must be held accountable. (ILKHA)