In a heartbreaking escalation of the humanitarian crisis gripping the Gaza Strip, medical sources reported on Wednesday that seven people, including a child, succumbed to starvation and malnutrition within the past 24 hours.

This tragedy brings the total death toll from hunger-related causes to 151, with 89 children among the victims, underscoring the dire consequences of the ongoing Israeli blockade and military operations.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) issued a stark warning on Tuesday, confirming that Gaza is teetering on the edge of famine. The report revealed that two of the three famine thresholds have already been surpassed in parts of the region, with food consumption and nutrition levels plummeting to their lowest since the onset of the war. The World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF have sounded the alarm, stating that time is running out to avert a full-scale catastrophe through a robust humanitarian response.

UN agencies, in a joint statement, condemned the conditions fueling this crisis, pointing to "the ongoing conflict, the collapse of basic services, and severe restrictions on the delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid imposed on the United Nations." These factors have left hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza facing catastrophic food insecurity, trapped in a cycle of deprivation exacerbated by relentless Israeli policies.

As the international community watches, the people of Gaza continue to endure unimaginable suffering, with children bearing the brunt of this man-made disaster. Urgent action is needed to lift restrictions, restore aid access, and end the blockade to prevent further loss of life. (ILKHA)