UNRWA accuses Israel of starving Gaza civilians, urges end to siege
In a statement on X, the agency said: 'The Israeli authorities are starving civilians in Gaza. Among them are 1 million children.'
UNRWA reiterated its urgent call for an end to the ongoing Israeli siege, stating: 'Lift the siege: allow UNRWA to bring in food and medicines.'
Despite international legal obligations to ensure the protection of civilians and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, Israel has maintained a total siege on Gaza since March 2. Convoys have been bombed, border crossings blocked, and aid distribution points targeted—actions widely condemned by rights groups as collective punishment and possible war crimes.
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, dozens of children have died from starvation and dehydration, while hundreds of thousands more are at risk due to the collapse of healthcare and widespread food insecurity.
On Saturday alone, Israeli strikes reportedly killed at least 136 Palestinians, including 38 individuals who were waiting for aid and three children who died from severe malnutrition, Palestinian officials said.Israel's offensive on Gaza, ongoing since October 2023, has killed nearly 59,000 Palestinians—most of them women and children—according to local health authorities. The bombing has devastated the enclave, crippled medical services, and created conditions described by aid agencies as famine-like. — Agencies
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Saudi Gazette
4 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Four-year-old girl dies of hunger in Gaza as Israel throttles food supply
GAZA — Four-year old Razan Abu Zaher gave up her fight for life on Sunday. She died at a hospital in central Gaza from complications brought on by hunger and malnutrition, according to a medical source. Her skeletal body was laid out on a slab of stone. At least 76 children in Gaza have died of malnutrition since the conflict began in October 2023, as well as ten adults, the Palestinian health ministry says. According to the World Health Organization, most of these occurred since Israeli authorities imposed a blockade at the beginning of March. Razan was one of at least four children to succumb in the last three days, the youngest just three months. Over the past 24 hours, 18 deaths have been recorded due to famine in Gaza, the health ministry says, reflecting a deepening crisis in the territory. CNN first met Razan a month ago. She was already weak with hunger and pitifully thin. Her mother, Tahrir Abu Daher, said then that she had no money to buy milk, which was in any case rarely available. 'Her health was very good before the war, but after the war, her condition began to deteriorate due to malnutrition. There is nothing to strengthen her.' That was on June 23. Razan had already been in hospital for 12 days. She clung on to life for another 27 days. Razan died amid growing starvation in Gaza, with the flow of humanitarian aid severely reduced since the beginning of March, when Israeli authorities banned convoys from entering Gaza. That ban was partially lifted at the end of May, but aid agencies say the amounts reaching the territory are too little to sustain the population. Israel said it was halting shipments of aid into Gaza because Hamas was stealing and profiting from it - an allegation Hamas denies. Israeli agencies also say the United Nations has not picked up aid ready to move into Gaza. The UN in turn has said that Israeli forces frequently deny permission to move aid within Gaza, and that much more is waiting to be allowed in. The Israeli agency that manages the flow of aid into the Gaza strip, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), said in a statement that the IDF is 'working to allow and facilitate the transfer' of humanitarian aid, including food. 'Since the beginning of the hostilities and up to this day, approximately 67,000 food trucks have entered the Gaza Strip, delivering around 1.5 million tons of food,' COGAT said. 'Israel will continue to facilitate the entry of food' into Gaza, COGAT said, 'while taking all possible measures to prevent the terrorist organization Hamas from seizing the aid.' Gaza was heavily dependent on aid and commercial shipments of food before the conflict began in October 2023, and shortages of food, medical supplies, fuel and other necessities have only worsened since. The scarcity of food since March has sent a rapidly growing number of people to already overwhelmed hospitals. 'Gaza is witnessing the worst phase of famine, which has reached catastrophic levels amid unprecedented international silence,' said Dr. Khalil Al-Daqran, the spokesman for al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital on Sunday, where Razan died. Al-Daqran said the infants who were now dying had been robbed of their childhood twice, 'once by bombing and killing, and again by depriving them of milk and a piece of bread.' The health ministry said Saturday that an 'unprecedented number of starving citizens of all ages are arriving at emergency departments in severe states of exhaustion and fatigue.' 'Hundreds whose bodies have been severely weakened are now at risk of imminent death due to hunger and their bodies' inability to endure any longer,' the ministry added. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights – an NGO working in Gaza - reported Sunday that one of its team in Gaza had said: 'Our faces have changed and our bodies have wasted away. We no longer recognize each other from extreme emaciation, as if we are slowly fading away and dying.' Dr. Suhaib Al-Hams, director of Kuwait field hospital in Khan Younis, told CNN that people arriving there were in 'dire need of food before medicine, as their bodies have reached a point beyond endurance and are all at risk of death.' 'Today, the World Central Kitchen stopped sending meals for the medical staff, they used to send us only rice. Doctors are working 24 hours a day with no food, neither at home nor at the hospital. People are dying of hunger,' Al-Hams said Sunday. World Central Kitchen confirmed its Gaza teams had run out of ingredients to cook warm meals. 'We served 80,000 meals yesterday [Saturday], emptying the last of our replenished stocks while aid trucks remain stuck at the border. 'This is the second time lack of access to aid has forced our kitchen operations to pause,' it added. In their desperation, thousands of people risk their lives every day to find something to eat. More than 70 people were reported to have been killed Sunday in Gaza as they desperately sought food aid, according to the health ministry, which said they had been shot by Israeli troops. The Israel Defense Forces said troops in the area 'fired warning shots in order to remove an immediate threat posed to them. The IDF is aware of the claim regarding casualties in the area, and the details of the incident are still being examined.' 'An initial review suggests that the number of casualties reported does not align with the information held by the IDF,' it added. Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Hospital where many of the casualties were taken, said that 'a significant number of civilians, and even medical staff, are arriving in a state of fainting or collapse due to severe malnutrition.' Nearly 800 Palestinians were killed while trying to access aid in Gaza between late May and July 7, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). During that period, OHCHR recorded the killings of 798 people, 615 of whom were killed near sites of the controversial US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). It added that 183 others were killed 'on the routes of aid convoys' without giving details on who had been running those convoys. Dozens more have been killed since, according to the health ministry, including more than 30 in southern Gaza on Saturday. Tom Fletcher, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, told the UN Security Council on Thursday that food was running out in Gaza. 'Those seeking it risk being shot. People are dying trying to feed their families.' He said that starvation rates among children had reached their highest levels in June, with more than 5,800 girls and boys diagnosed as acutely malnourished. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Friday it was receiving 'deeply troubling reports of malnourished children and adults being admitted to hospitals with little resources available to treat them properly.' On Saturday, Sarmad Tamimy, a plastic surgeon volunteering with Medical Aid for Palestinians, told CNN: 'Honestly, I feel the lucky ones get killed immediately because [of] the horrible horrors that they're going to face with their extensive injuries, with inadequate nutrition, inadequate medical supplies, infections, maggots, [and] hospital-acquired infections.' — CNN
Leaders
6 hours ago
- Leaders
Gaza Faces Deadliest Day for Aid Seekers as Malnutrition Threatens Children
Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians trying to reach food in Gaza on Sunday, in one of the deadliest days for aid seekers in the war-torn enclave as malnutrition is threatening Palestinian children. Meanwhile, the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for areas crowded with displaced people and international aid organizations in central Gaza, raising alarm over a new ground operation amid the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Strip. Largest Death Toll On Sunday, at least 85 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire while seeking aid, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Most of the victims, were in northern Gaza, as at least 79 people died while trying to get aid entering through the Zikim crossing with Israel, the head of the Health Ministry's records department, Zaher al-Waheidi, told the Associated Press (AP). Moreover, Israeli troops killed 6 Palestinians in the Shakoush area, near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in the southern city of Rafah, according to al-Waheidi. However, the US-backed organization said it was not aware of any incident near its site. Another 7 Palestinians were killed in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, including a 5-year-old boy, according to the Kuwait Specialized Field Hospital. Tragic Incident The UN World Food Program (WFP) said a convoy of 25 trucks carrying vital food aid had entered into the area to help starving communities, but the convoy faced large crowds of civilians desperately waiting for needed food supplies. Hospitals said they received more than 150 casualties, some in critical condition. 'As the convoy approached, the surrounding crowd came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire,' the WFP said in a statement. It voiced deep concern over this 'tragic incident' that resulted in the loss of many lives. 'These people were simply trying to access food to feed themselves and their families on the brink of starvation. This terrible incident underscores the increasingly dangerous conditions under which humanitarian operations are forced to be conducted in Gaza,' the statement added. Israel Blames Hamas The Israeli military put the blame on Hamas, accusing the Palestinian movement's elements of creating chaos. It said Israeli forces opened fire at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians who posed a threat. The Israeli military acknowledged some casualties, but said that numbers reported by officials in Gaza were far higher than the findings of its initial investigation. Malnutrition Risks The WFP warned that the hunger crisis in Gaza has reached 'new levels of desperation' due to lack of humanitarian assistance and the spread of malnutrition among women and children. 'Malnutrition is surging with 90,000 women and children in urgent need of treatment. Nearly one person in three is not eating for days,' it said. As a result, the UN agency called for an immediate ceasefire to scale up food supplies distribution. 'We urgently call on the international community and all parties to advocate for, and facilitate, the delivery of life-saving food aid to starving populations inside Gaza – safely, securely, wherever families are, and without obstruction,' the WFP said. New Evacuation Orders The Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for parts of central Gaza, one of the few areas where Israel has rarely operated with ground troops. These areas also host large crowds of displaced people and several international organizations trying to distribute humanitarian assistance. The military also reiterated evacuation orders for northern Gaza. The new evacuation orders direct residents and displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah to move south towards al-Mawasi, saying that the Israeli military 'continues to operate with great force to destroy the enemy's capabilities and terrorist infrastructure in the area.' In response, the UN OCHA warned that the new evacuation orders 'dealt yet another devastating blow' to humanitarian efforts in Gaza, as Deir al-Balah hosts between 50,000 and 80,000 people, including some 30,000 people sheltering in 57 displacement sites. 'The newly-designated area includes several humanitarian warehouses, four primary health clinics, four medical points, and critical water infrastructure: the Southern Gaza Desalination Plant, three water wells, one water reservoir, one solid waste dumping site and one wastewater pumping station. Any damage to this infrastructure will have life-threatening consequences,' it said in a statement. Short link : Post Views: 81
Saudi Gazette
12 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Israeli forces kill 67 Palestinians seeking aid in northern Gaza, Hamas-run ministry says
JERUSALEM — The Israeli military has killed at least 67 people waiting for UN aid lorries in northern Gaza, the territory's Hamas-run health ministry says. The UN World Food Programme said its 25-truck convoy "encountered massive crowds of hungry civilians which came under gunfire", soon after it crossed from Israel and cleared checkpoints. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it had "fired warning shots" to remove "an immediate threat". It disputed the number of reported deaths. On Saturday the ministry warned that extreme hunger was increasing in Gaza and growing numbers of people were arriving at its facilities "in a state of extreme exhaustion and fatigue". "We warn that hundreds of people whose bodies have wasted away are at risk of imminent death due to hunger," it said. The UN has also said civilians in Gaza are starving and called for an urgent influx of essential goods. On Sunday the ministry said it had recorded 18 deaths "due to famine" over the past 24 of the casualties from northern Gaza were taken to Shifa hospital in Gaza City. The medical director there, Dr Hassan al-Shaer, told BBC Arabic on Sunday the facility had been "overwhelmed".Outside the hospital one woman told BBC Arabic that "the whole population is dying"."Children are dying of hunger because they have nothing to eat. People are surviving on water and salt... just water and salt," she an updated death toll, Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli fire had killed a total of 93 people and wounded dozens more across Gaza on Sunday. Eighty people were killed in northern Gaza, it said, while nine people were shot dead near an aid point in Rafah and four more near an aid point in Khan Younis, both in southern Gaza City, Qasem Abu Khater told AFP he had attempted to get a bag of flour but instead found a desperate crowd and "deadly overcrowding and pushing"."The tanks were firing shells randomly at us and Israeli sniper soldiers were shooting as if they were hunting animals in a forest," he said."Dozens of people were martyred right before my eyes and no one could save anyone."The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) condemned violence against civilians seeking aid as "completely unacceptable".In a statement posted on X, the WFP said "malnutrition is surging with 90,000 women and children in urgent need of treatment". "Nearly one person in three is not eating for days," it have been almost daily reports of Palestinians being killed while seeking food since late May. On Saturday at least 32 people were killed by Israeli gunfire near two aid distribution points in southern Gaza, according to the of the incidents have taken place near sites run by the controversial US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which uses private security contractors to distribute aid from sites in Israeli military zones, but some have taken place near aid brought in by the the Israeli military has issued evacuation orders for a crowded part of central Gaza where it has not launched a ground offensive during its 21 months of war against IDF said on Sunday that residents and displaced Palestinians sheltering in the city of Deir al-Balah should evacuate immediately and move towards al-Mawasi on the Mediterranean evacuation demand, which could signal an imminent attack, has caused widespread panic among tens of thousands of Palestinians, as well as the families of Israeli hostages who fear their relatives are being held in the IDF has conducted air strikes in the area, but it has not yet deployed ground Sunday, the Israeli military dropped leaflets from the sky ordering people in several districts in southwest Deir al-Balah to leave their homes and head further south."The (Israeli) Defense Forces continues to operate with great force to destroy the enemy's capabilities and terrorist infrastructure in the area," the military said, adding that it had not yet entered these districts during the affected neighbourhoods of Deir al-Balah are crowded with displaced people living in sources told Reuters news agency that the reason the army has stayed out of these districts so far is because they suspect Hamas might be holding hostages least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in captivity in Gaza are believed to still be of the Strip's population of more than two million people have been displaced at least once during Israel's war with Hamas, with repeated Israeli evacuation calls covering large parts of the Sunday, Pope Leo XIV called for an "immediate end to the barbarity of the war" and urged against "indiscriminate use of force".His comments came days after a deadly Israeli strike hit Gaza's only Catholic Church, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country deeply launched its war in Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and led to 251 others being taken attacks have since killed more than 58,895 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The ministry's figures are quoted by the UN and others as the most reliable source of statistics available on casualties. — BBC
