The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has condemned the Israeli-imposed blockade on Gaza, warning that the humanitarian situation — especially for children — has deteriorated to catastrophic levels due to Israel’s ongoing siege and denial of life-saving aid.

In a statement posted on Sunday, UNICEF described how children in Gaza have endured relentless Israeli airstrikes while being deprived of basic necessities, including food, medical care, and clean water. The agency said the situation in Gaza has dramatically worsened over the past two months, directly attributing it to Israel’s total closure of border crossings and obstruction of humanitarian deliveries.

“The situation in the Gaza Strip has deteriorated significantly due to the blockade and the denial of humanitarian aid,” UNICEF said.

Since March 2, Israel has completely sealed off all crossings into Gaza, effectively choking off the flow of humanitarian assistance. Aid organizations have reported that hundreds of trucks filled with urgently needed food, medicine, and supplies remain stalled at the borders, while Palestinian civilians face famine conditions inside the besieged enclave.

UNICEF reiterated the urgent need for a ceasefire and immediate humanitarian access, emphasizing that Israel's blockade is deliberately starving Gaza’s population, in violation of international humanitarian law.

Human rights groups and Palestinian officials have repeatedly warned that Israel’s systematic targeting of civilians and its weaponization of starvation are part of a broader campaign of collective punishment and ethnic cleansing.

As the world watches, millions of Palestinians in Gaza, half of them children, are being pushed to the brink of survival under the weight of bombs, hunger, and disease. UNICEF’s urgent appeal adds to growing international pressure demanding an end to the blockade, protection for civilians, and accountability for those responsible for what many now call a genocidal war on Gaza. (ILKHA)