15 Die of Starvation in Gaza Within 24 Hours as Humanitarian Crisis Worsens

No fewer than 15 Palestinians, including four children, have died from starvation and malnutrition within the past 24 hours in the Gaza Strip, health authorities in the besieged enclave announced on Tuesday.

The latest fatalities bring the total number of hunger-related deaths in Gaza to 101 since March, with 80 of the victims being children, according to a statement released by Gaza’s health ministry. The statement highlights a rapidly worsening humanitarian catastrophe amid a months-long Israeli blockade that continues to restrict the entry of essential supplies.

“The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate amid the ongoing Israeli blockade,” the statement read. “A large number of civilians, particularly children, are suffering from severe malnutrition.”

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) echoed these concerns in a message posted on X (formerly Twitter), warning that “people in Gaza, including UNRWA colleagues, are fainting due to severe hunger. They are being starved.”

UNRWA further condemned the restrictions on aid delivery, pointing out the stark contrast between conditions in Gaza and nearby Israeli areas: “Just a few kilometers away from Gaza, supermarkets and shops are loaded with food and other goods. Lift the siege, allow UNRWA to bring in food and medicines,” the agency pleaded.

Adding to the growing pressure, the Israeli Medical Association (IMA)

representing 95 percent of doctors in Israel called for immediate action. In a letter to Israeli army chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, IMA Chairman Zion Hagay stressed the urgent need to allow the entry of medical equipment and essential humanitarian aid into Gaza.

“Such deliveries are required by both medical ethics and morality, as well as international humanitarian law,” Hagay wrote. He further warned that if recent reports proving the deaths of at least 73 people while waiting for aid are confirmed, it would constitute a serious violation of both ethical standards and international law.

The rising death toll from starvation comes amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, which resumed on March 18. Since then, at least 8,268 Palestinians have been killed and more than 30,470 injured, according to Gaza’s health authorities.

Humanitarian agencies continue to call for an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded access to aid as famine looms over the war-ravaged territory.