57 children in Gaza died from hunger
GENEVA: Fifty-seven children have died from the effects of malnutrition during the ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip, Rik Peeperkorn, representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), said on Tuesday, citing the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Peeperkorn, who represents the WHO in the Palestinian Territories, said in a video call that the UN organisation has not yet verified these figures. However, he noted that the WHO has observed an increase in malnourished children.
In connection with this, he reported many young patients with pneumonia and gastrointestinal diseases. "You normally don't die from starvation, you die from diseases associated with it," he said.
From the WHO's headquarters in Geneva, it was stated that in recent weeks, more than 57 children may have already died due to the food crisis. Since the beginning of March, the Israeli military has not allowed aid deliveries into the Gaza Strip.
The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned at the beginning of the week of an escalating famine in the coastal strip, based on a recent analysis indicating that the entire population of the Gaza Strip - around 2.1 million people - is affected by acute food insecurity. Of these, 244,000 people are already suffering from famine, the FAO said.
Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinian journalist Hassan Aslih who was killed in an Israeli strike in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday. — Reuters
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military will enter Gaza "with full force" in the coming days, despite ongoing ceasefire efforts and the release of a US-Israeli captive from the war-ravaged territory.
"In the very coming days, we are going in with full force to complete the operation," Netanyahu was quoted as saying in a statement from his office on Tuesday. "There will be no situation where we stop the war. A temporary ceasefire might happen, but we are going all the way."
The prime minister's comments followed the return on Monday of 21-year-old soldier Edan Alexander.
"The return of Edan Alexander is the result of serious communications with the US administration and the efforts of mediators, not a consequence of Israeli aggression or the illusion of military pressure," the Palestinian group said in a statement.
Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid a deadlock over how to proceed with a January 19 ceasefire. Earlier this month, Israel's government approved plans to expand its offensive, with officials talking of retaining a long-term presence there. — Agencies
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