TEHRAN – More Palestinians have died in starvation in Gaza as Israel’s besieged territory blockades into an increasingly severe malnutrition crisis.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement Tuesday that hospitals in Gaza have recorded dozens of deaths, including children, due to starvation and malnutrition. This adds to dozens of Palestinians shot dead in Gaza by Israeli forces on Tuesday.
Malnutrition and starvation are particularly severe among children. This is a crisis highlighted by Save the Children’s Humanitarian Director.
Rachel Cummings told Al Jazeera of Deia Elbara in central Gaza that Gaza had not had a proper food supply for a very long time. The market is empty and the water sanitation situation is not sufficient to meet the needs of two million people.
Cummings said in Deia Elle Barra that he saw “hunger people, children carrying empty bowls, looking for food and looking for water. That’s absolutely desperate here.
“The number of children is increasing at our clinics and malnutrition nutrition centres, and the number of pregnant women and breastfeeding women is increasing. Everyone in Gaza is starving.
Michael Fakri, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right side of the food, says Gaza’s starvation is “artificial” hunger.
“What we’re seeing in Gaza now is the most frightening stage of Israel’s hunger campaign,” Fafri told Al Jazeera.
Meanwhile, UNRWA, the UN Palestinian refugee agency, said more than one million children in Gaza are hungry as Israel has allowed food and humanitarian aid trickle to enter the territory since March.
In related developments, foreign ministers of 25 countries, including several Israeli allies, have issued joint statements calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza.
“The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s model for providing assistance is dangerous and deprives Gazas of human dignity. The denial of the Israeli government’s essential humanitarian assistance to civilians is unacceptable.
France and the UK are one of the signatories. Both are considered to be Israel’s ally.
Their signature on the statement shows a growing perception that Israel’s military strategy in Gaza has failed. It is also seen as an attempt to appease public opinion in these European countries, where citizens are increasingly opposed to Israel’s brutal war against Gaza.
Israel not only stabbed Palestinians in Gaza to death, but also fired fire at people seeking food aid in the enclave. Around 100 Gazaans were killed by Israeli forces over the weekend as they gathered near a convoy of food trucks sent by the United Nations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Israeli forces to launch a war with Gaza in October 2023 after the Hamas attack. Since then, Israeli forces have killed more than 59,000 Gazans. However, Israel failed to achieve its stated goal of destroying Hamas.
Starving civilians, including children – killing people for food and destroying much of Gaza’s infrastructure is the only result Israel has achieved.