Palestinian minister reports 29 starvation-related deaths
Food aid is expected to start reaching Gazans on Thursday. (AP pic)
GENEVA : The Palestinian health minister said on Thursday that 29 children and elderly people had died from starvation-related deaths in Gaza in recent days and that many thousands more were at risk.
Food aid is expected to start reaching Gazans on Thursday after Israel let the first trucks through following an 11-week blockade, but Palestinian and aid officials say it is just a fraction of what is needed.
'In the last couple of days we lost 29 children,' Palestinian health minister Majed Abu Ramadan told reporters, describing them as 'starvation-related deaths'. He later clarified that the total included elderly people as well as children.
Asked to react to earlier comments by the UN aid chief to the BBC that 14,000 babies could die without aid, he said: 'The number 14,000 is very realistic, may be even underestimating (the scale).'
Israel imposed the blockade on all supplies in March, saying Hamas was seizing deliveries for its fighters – a charge the group denies. Earlier this month, a global hunger monitor said that half a million people in the Gaza Strip face starvation.
Abu Ramadan said that only seven or eight hospitals out of Gaza's 36 were partially functioning, and that more than 90% of medical stocks were now at zero due to the blockade.
'My information is that very few shipments went inside Gaza – 90-100 truck loads and in the south and mid zones.' Asked if there are any medical supplies among them, he said: 'As far as I know …it's only flour for bakeries.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
18 hours ago
- New Straits Times
No intervention means Gaza genocide continues
RIGHTS groups, lawyers and some governments are describing the Gaza war as "genocide" and calling for a ceasefire but Israel, created in the aftermath of the Nazi Holocaust of Jews, vehemently rejects the explosive term. Israel's military offensive on Gaza since October 2023 has killed 54,677 people, mostly civilians, according to the Health Ministry in the occupied Palestinian territory. The United Nations has said the territory's entire population of more than two million people is at risk of famine, even if Israel said last month it was partially easing the complete blockade on aid it imposed on Gaza on March 2. Despite international calls for an end to the war, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas remains elusive. In December 2023, South Africa brought a case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations' highest judicial organ, alleging that Israel's Gaza offensive breached the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. In rulings in January, March and May 2024, the ICJ told Israel to do everything possible to "prevent" acts of genocide during its military operations in Gaza, including by providing urgently needed humanitarian aid to prevent famine. Amnesty International has accused Israel of carrying out a "live-streamed genocide" in Gaza, while Human Rights Watch has alleged it is responsible for "acts of genocide". A UN committee in November found Israel's warfare in Gaza was "consistent with the characteristics of genocide". And a UN investigation concluded in March that Israel carried out "genocidal acts" in Gaza through the destruction of the strip's main IVF (in vitro fertilisation) clinic and other reproductive healthcare facilities. Omer Bartov, an Israeli scholar of the Holocaust, wrote in August last year that "Israel was engaged in systematic war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocidal actions". Fellow Israeli historians Amos Goldberg and Daniel Blatman in January co-wrote an article in which they said: "Israel is indeed committing genocide in Gaza." France's President Emmanuel Macron has said it is not up to a "political leader to use the term but up to historians to do so when the time comes". But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has used it and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has accused Israel of "premeditated genocide". The International Criminal Court (ICC) in November issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Israel's war in Gaza — including starvation as a method of warfare. In the case of Rwanda, in which the UN said extremist Hutus killed some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in 1994, it took a decade for the International Criminal Tribunal to conclude genocide had happened. It was not until 2007 that the ICJ recognised as genocide the murder by Bosnian Serb forces of almost 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995 during the Bosnian war. French-Israeli lawyer Omer Shatz said "there is no doubt that war crimes, crimes against humanity are being committed" in Gaza. But the international law expert agreed intent was more difficult to prove. That is why, after the ICC issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu and Gallant, Shatz filed a report with the court in December arguing they were among eight Israeli officials responsible for "incitement to genocide in Gaza". "If incitement is established, that establishes intent," he said. His 170-page report lists such alleged incitements, including Gallant at the start of the war saying Israel was fighting "human animals" in Gaza and far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urging "total extermination" in the Palestinian territory. Mathilde Philip-Gay, an international law expert, warned: "International law cannot stop a war. The judiciary will intervene after the war. "The qualification (of genocide) is very important for victims but it will come later." The 1948 Genocide Convention says signatories can call on UN organs "to take such action... for the prevention and suppression of acts of genocide".
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
High-rise tragedies show a systemic failure to ensure child safety, says children's commissioner
PETALING JAYA: Recent fatal falls from high-rise buildings involving children reflect a prevalent failure to prioritise their safety in the home, says the Suhakam children's commissioner. Dr Farah Nini Dusuki said such cases could have been prevented with proper safety measures in place, coupled with awareness and enforcement of safety regulations. "These back-to-back tragedies are not isolated accidents," she said in a statement on Friday (June 6). ALSO READ: Safer high-rises for kids "They are preventable deaths that starkly expose the failure to implement essential safety measures in high-rise residential buildings. "These children did not have to die," she added. She said the recent cases were a direct consequence of a systemic failure to prioritise child safety where it matters most – in the home. "As a party to the (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child, Malaysia is duty-bound to protect every child's right to life, development, and protection from foreseeable harm. ALSO READ: Four-year-old boy dies after fall from 30th-floor of Bukit Jalil apartment "A safe home environment is not a luxury. "Providing a safe home environment is a legal and moral obligation," she said. Her remarks follow the death of a four-year-old boy who is believed to have fallen from the 30th-floor balcony of an apartment in Bukit Jalil on Thursday (June 5) morning. On May 21, a seven-year-old girl fell from the 29th floor of a condominium in Puchong, Subang Jaya. On May 17, a boy aged two years and eight months died after falling from the seventh floor of a public housing unit in Precinct 9, Putrajaya. ALSO READ: Seven-year-old girl dies after falling from Puchong condo The Star had previously highlighted the dangers posed to children living in high-rise buildings and suggestions by child activists on how to better ensure their safety. Dr Farah called in both Federal and state authorities, including stakeholders, to urgently implement measures to prevent further tragedies. Among them, she said, were enacting specific laws to enhance child safety in high-rise residential buildings. "This includes making it mandatory for all apartment and flat units, including rental units, to be equipped with safety grilles or protective mesh on windows and balconies. "Additionally, minimum safety design standards for child-friendly high-rise units must be established under existing building laws or regulations," she said. ALSO READ: Boy dies in fall from seventh floor of Putrajaya housing block At present, under the Uniform Building By-Laws 1984 (UBBL), balcony railings of residential high-rise buildings cannot be less than 1m or 1,000mm in height, but local authorities can impose stricter requirements. However, it is mandatory for window grilles to be installed in residential high-rise buildings under the UBBL, although it could be regulated by the building's management or voluntarily installed by the owners. "Current building design for child safety standards must be reviewed and integrated as mandatory requirements in all high-rise residential developments," Dr Farah said. She also called on local authorities to conduct regular and strict compliance inspections of high-rise units, especially rental properties, to ensure compliance with child safety standards and features. "To all parents, while we push for reforms to take place, in the meantime, vigilance is key. "If you live in a high-rise residence, never leave young children unattended, and ensure safety measures are installed," she added.
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Hamas says ready for ‘serious' Gaza truce talks, as rescuers say 37 killed
GAZA CITY, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: Hamas's lead negotiator said the group was ready to enter a new round of talks aimed at sealing a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, where rescuers said Israeli strikes killed at least 37 people on Thursday. Negotiator Khalil al-Hayya made the declaration in a speech marking the start of Eid al-Adha festivities, typically a joyous date on the Muslim calendar, but one many Gazans say they will not be able to celebrate this year amid crushing shortages. 'We reaffirm that we are ready for a new, serious round of negotiations aimed at reaching a permanent ceasefire agreement,' Hayya said, adding the group was in contact with mediators. Talks aimed at brokering a new ceasefire have failed to yield a breakthrough since the last brief truce fell apart in March with the resumption of Israeli operations in Gaza. Israel and Hamas appeared close to an agreement late last month, but a deal proved elusive, with each side accusing the other of scuppering a US-backed proposal. - Stepped-up Gaza campaign - The Israeli military has recently stepped up its campaign in what it says is a renewed push to defeat Hamas, whose October 2023 attack sparked the war. Gaza civil defence official Mohammed al-Mughayyir said that '37 people have been martyred in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip' as of Thursday afternoon, reporting attacks up and down the length of the territory. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. International calls for a negotiated ceasefire have grown in recent weeks, particularly as the humanitarian situation in the devastated Palestinian territory has worsened. The World Health Organization warned Thursday that Gaza's 'health system is collapsing', pointing to the risks faced by the Nasser and Al-Amal medical facilities -- the 'last two functioning public hospitals in Khan Yunis', where many displaced Gazans are sheltering. 'What is happening in Gaza is not a war. It's a genocide being carried out by a highly prepared army against women and children,' said Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has previously used the legal term to describe the conflict. French President Emmanuel Macron, who has declined to use the term himself, vowed at a joint appearance with Lula to 'ramp up pressure in coordination with the Americans to obtain a ceasefire'. France is due later this month to co-host with Saudi Arabia a United Nations conference in New York on a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday warned Israel of 'further concrete actions' over its Gaza offensive and restrictions on aid. - 'Rejoice over flour' - Israel has faced mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza, after it imposed a more than two-month blockade that led to widespread shortages of food and other essentials. On a normal Eid al-Adha, Gazans would be preparing for large family gatherings, traditionally centred around the sacrifice and eating of a sheep. But this year, 'one kilo of meat has become a dream', said Mohammed Othman, 36. 'We just hope to find bread to feed our children on the day of Eid, and they will rejoice over flour as if it were meat.' Israel recently eased its aid blockade and has worked with the newly formed, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to implement a new distribution mechanism via a handful of centres in south and central Gaza. But since its inception, GHF has been a magnet for criticism from the UN and other members of the aid world -- which only intensified following a recent string of deadly incidents near its facilities. The United Nations and other aid groups have declined to work with GHF, citing concerns it serves Israeli military goals. GHF shut down its distribution centres on Wednesday for what it called 'reorganisation' to improve its work, but said it had reopened two of them on Thursday. The group said it had distributed more than 8.4 million meals' worth of food since opening a little over a week ago. Gaza rescuers and eyewitnesses implicated Israeli troops in instances of deadly gunfire near a GHF centre in Rafah. Israel's military has maintained it does not prevent Gazans from collecting aid, but army spokesperson Effie Defrin said after one such incident on Tuesday that soldiers had fired towards suspects who 'were approaching in a way that endangered' the troops. He added that the incident was under investigation. - Hostage bodies recovered - During their October 2023 attack, militants abducted 251 hostages, 55 of whom remain in Gaza, including 32 the Israeli military says are dead. On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the remains of two Israeli-Americans killed on October 7 -- Judy Weinstein Haggai and Gad Haggai -- had been recovered in 'a special operation' in Gaza and returned to Israel. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said their return was 'a stark reminder of the enduring cruelty' faced by the families of hostages still in Gaza. Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, at least 4,402 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 54,677, mostly civilians.
