Three more Palestinians died from starvation in Gaza in the last 24 hours amid a choking Israeli blockade, the Health Ministry has said.
“Hospitals recorded three fatalities in Gaza in the past 24 hours as a result of famine and malnutrition,” the ministry said in a statement on Friday.
The new deaths brought the death toll from starvation since October 2023 to 162, including 92 children.
Last week, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that one-third of Gaza’s population had gone without food for several consecutive days due to the Israeli siege.
According to WFP estimates, one in four Palestinians in Gaza faces famine-like conditions, and 100,000 women and children are suffering from acute malnutrition.
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza for 18 years, and since March 2 has sealed all border crossings, blocking the entry of humanitarian aid and worsening already dire conditions in the enclave.
Palestinian officials say that a minimum of 600 aid trucks are needed per day to meet the needs of the territory’s 2.4 million population.
The Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 60,300 Palestinians. The relentless bombardment has devastated the enclave and led to food shortages.
