Forced starvation deaths climb to 111 in Gaza, including at least 80 children
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At least 10 Palestinians have died from forced starvation in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of hunger-related deaths in Gaza to 111, including at least 80 children, according to the territory's health ministry.
More than 100 international humanitarian organisations have issued an urgent appeal for governments to immediately open all land crossings into Gaza and restore access to essential supplies including food, clean water, medical aid, shelter materials and fuel.
Almost 101 people died because of #starvation, including 80 children'
Palestine Red Crescent Society Spokesperson Nebal Farsakh warns 'situation only getting worse' in #Gaza
'Unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe' pic.twitter.com/1aYeDKOMWt — PRCS (@PalestineRCS) July 22, 2025
The organisations, in a joint statement published by Wafa news agency on Wednesday, also called for a UN-led humanitarian mechanism and an immediate, lasting ceasefire.
'Aid workers are now standing in food lines, risking gunfire, just to feed their families,' the statement said, blaming the Israeli government's continued blockade for the starvation gripping the enclave. Humanitarian agencies have reported a rapid physical deterioration among colleagues and local partners as aid supplies run critically low.
Bodies of Palestinians are brought to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City after an Israeli air raid. Photo: Anadolu Agency
Separately, Gaza's Government Media Office confirmed the killing of two more Palestinian journalists, raising the total number of media workers killed since October 2023 to 231.
The journalists, identified as Tamer al-Za'anin, a photojournalist affiliated with various outlets, and Walaa al-Jabari, a newspaper editor, were reportedly targeted in Israeli strikes.
'The Government Media Office condemns in the strongest terms the systematic targeting, killing and assassination of Palestinian journalists by the 'Israeli' occupation,' the office said in a statement on Telegram.
A Palestinian boy inspects the site of an overnight Israeli air strike on a house in Gaza City on July 23, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Read: Gaza starvation spirals amid Israeli assault
Israeli airstrikes kill 21 today
At least 21 more Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, targeting the Tuffah neighbourhood, according to hospital sources. Al-Ahli Arab Hospital confirmed receiving bodies of the deceased and treating dozens of wounded. Additional casualties were reported in Khan Younis, Bani Suheila, and central Gaza, including Deir el-Balah.
Bodies of Palestinians are brought to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City after an Israeli air raid. Photo: Anadolu Agency
Deir el-Balah, once considered a relatively safe area and a key hub for aid operations, has come under intensified Israeli ground activity. Humanitarian workers said the area is now experiencing renewed displacement orders amid large-scale destruction. The Israeli army withdrew from southern Deir el-Balah after a 24-hour operation that left displaced families without access to aid or shelter.
Bodies of Palestinians are brought to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City after an Israeli air raid [Ali Jadallah/Anadolu]
AFP seeks urgent exit for reporters
Meanwhile, Agence France-Presse (AFP) has urged Israel to allow the immediate evacuation of its freelance journalists from Gaza, describing their conditions as 'appalling' and 'untenable'.
'For months, we have watched helplessly as their living conditions deteriorated dramatically,' AFP said in a statement from its Paris headquarters. 'Their situation is now untenable, despite their exemplary courage, professional commitment, and resilience.'
Palestinians look on while standing at the site of an overnight Israeli air strike on a house in Gaza City on July 23, 2025. Photo: Reuters
The AFP journalists' association, SDJ, warned on Monday that its staff in Gaza are facing extreme food shortages and risk starving due to the Israeli blockade.
"Since AFP was founded in August 1944, we have lost journalists in conflicts, we have had wounded and prisoners in our ranks, but none of us can recall seeing a colleague die of hunger," the association said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Read more: Hamas says no interim truce possible without work toward permanent ceasefire
The SDJ said AFP has been working with a team of one freelance reporter, three photographers, and six freelance video journalists in Gaza.
One of them, Bashar Taleb, 30, posted on Meta: "I don't have the power to cover media anymore. My body is lean and I no longer have the ability to walk". He added that his older brother collapsed from hunger on Sunday morning.
Despite receiving salaries, AFP freelancers in Gaza have reported being unable to find food or being forced to pay exorbitant prices.
Israel's war on Gaza
The Israeli army has launched a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing at least 58,667 Palestinians, including 17,400 children. More than 139,974 people have been injured, and over 14,222 are missing and presumed dead.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
A proposed 60-day ceasefire deal includes a pause in hostilities, increased humanitarian aid, and negotiations on the release of captives.
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