Starvation in Gaza Archives

Israeli attacks kill 51 in Gaza as more Palestinians die from starvation

Israeli Attacks Kill 51 in Gaza as Starvation Deaths Rise Amid Declared Famine

Fola Badmus4 weeks ago4 weeks ago05 mins

Gaza Strip – At least 51 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military attacks across the Gaza Strip, including 16 civilians seeking humanitarian aid, amid mounting concerns over famine and worsening conditions in the besieged enclave. According to medical sources, Israeli artillery shelled tents sheltering displaced families in the Asdaa area northwest of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, killing 16 people, including six children, on Saturday. Elsewhere: Hunger Crisis Deepens Gaza’s Health Ministry also reported eight new starvation-related deaths, including two children, over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of malnutrition-related fatalities to 281 since the onset of the humanitarian crisis. Of those, at least 114 were children, according to Munir al-Bursh, Director-General of the ministry. “The famine is silently ravaging the bodies of civilians, depriving children of their right to life, and turning tents and hospitals into daily scenes of tragedy,” al-Bursh wrote on social media. The United Nations on Friday formally declared a famine in Gaza – the first time such a classification has been made in the Middle East. The declaration follows months of warnings from humanitarian agencies and growing accusations that Israel is obstructing aid. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the crisis as a “man-made disaster,” while the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said over 514,000 Palestinians are already facing famine-level hunger. That number could rise to 641,000 by the end of September. Mounting Death Toll, Aid Blockades Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 2,076 Palestinians have been killed and over 15,300 injured while seeking aid since Israel implemented its “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” (GHF) mechanism on May 27 — a unilateral aid system backed by the US and Israel but rejected by the UN and major relief groups. In total, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza — launched after the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel — has killed more than 62,600 Palestinians, according to health officials in the territory. “Engineering of Starvation” In a statement, the Palestinian Health Ministry welcomed the famine declaration but criticized the timing: “We emphasise that the engineering of starvation is one aspect of the chapters of genocide, which also include the systematic destruction of the health sector, mass killing, and the policy of exterminating generations,” the ministry said on Telegram. Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary, reporting from Deir el-Balah, said many Gazans believe the UN famine declaration came too late. “They have been witnessing weeks and months of this ongoing starvation,” she said. Amid widespread destruction, collapsed infrastructure, and dwindling humanitarian access, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza continues to escalate, with hundreds of thousands facing the daily threat of starvation, bombardment, and displacement.

Gaza Famine Deepens: 263 Dead from Starvation, Including 112 Children

Fola Badmus1 month ago1 month ago04 mins

Starvation deaths in Gaza are rising sharply as Israel’s blockade and bombardment fuel a man-made famine that has left families without food, clean water, or medical care. According to health officials in Gaza, at least 263 people have now died from starvation, including 112 children, as of August 17. Hospitals are struggling to cope with the growing number of malnourished patients, many of them infants and toddlers in critical condition. Children Among the Most Vulnerable One of the most harrowing cases is that of seven-month-old Hasan Ahmed Felfel, whose worsening malnutrition has put his life at serious risk. Doctors in Gaza City say they are treating him and dozens of other children under dire conditions, with shortages of medicine, baby formula, and therapeutic food supplies. Malnutrition strikes children hardest, especially within the first 1,000 days of life—from pregnancy through age two. Without treatment, starvation causes organ failure, brain damage, stunted growth, and in many cases, death. Blockade and Aid Restrictions The famine crisis is rooted in Israel’s near-total blockade of Gaza’s crossings. Between March and mid-May, food, water, and humanitarian aid were completely sealed off, creating catastrophic shortages. Relief groups report that hundreds of aid trucks—once supplying 500 truckloads a day before October 2023—now sit idle in Egypt and Jordan, barred from entering Gaza. More than 100 humanitarian organisations, including Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International, and the Norwegian Refugee Council, have accused Israel of deliberately weaponising aid by blocking life-saving supplies. On August 14, Amnesty International stated that Israel’s policies amount to a “deliberate strategy of starvation”, describing the conditions imposed on Palestinians as part of an ongoing campaign of destruction. Measuring Famine International experts warn that Gaza is moving deeper into famine. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) defines famine as a situation where: Humanitarian agencies say all three thresholds are either already being met or dangerously close. Visible Signs of Crisis Images emerging from Gaza show children with swollen bellies caused by severe protein deficiency, sunken eyes, and skeletal frames—many measuring below the 11.5cm threshold on MUAC malnutrition tapes, which signals severe acute malnutrition. Without immediate intervention, these children face a high risk of death. Doctors say the famine is “entirely man-made” and preventable, but without access to food and medical supplies, the death toll will continue to climb daily.