Harrowing images show skeletal Palestinian boy, two, crying out as 11 more die from malnutrition in Gaza, Hamas-run health ministry claims
The war-ravaged enclave is reportedly in the grip of a major famine amid claims vital aid reaching civilians has either stalled or been seized by Hamas terrorists.
The situation has sparked desperate calls for action from the United Nations (UN), as fears of a humanitarian crisis erupting continue to grow.
So far, 212 people, including 98 children, have reportedly died of malnutrition according to unconfirmed figures by the Hamas-run health ministry, with 11 more deaths reported last night.
The latest harrowing images to come out of the Gaza strip appear to show a severely emaciated two-year-old crying out as he is treated in hospital.
Little Sham Kadih, who appears to be suffering from malnutrition, was pictured weeping as he is tended to at Nasser Hospital on Saturday.
It comes amid an on-going shortage of baby formula and medicine, which has reportedly left scores of children on the brink of starvation.
Another image purports to show three-year-old Palestinian boy Edhem Mohammed Abu Urmana being fed just water instead of baby formula.
The youngster, who appears gaunt and thin, was forced to flee his home alongside his family amid the on-going bombing campaign by Israel.
Now staying inside a tent at the Nuseirat refugee camp, Edhem is reportedly suffering from malnutrition.
The youngster was pictured on Saturday curled into a ball as he sipped water from a bottle.
It is the latest in a series of heartbreaking images to emerge from Palestine amid claims its residents are starving, and a row over the cause between Israel and foreign critics.
Last month, pictures of Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq, an 18-month-old child who was diagnosed with severe malnutrition, were featured across the Western media. But subsequently it emerged the child had pre-existing medical conditions.
Pro-Palestinian voices blame Israel for the images of starvation, accusing them of blocking aid. Israel denies these claims and accuses Hamas of stealing and hoarding aid - and the UN of failing to deliver life-saving supplies.
Videos reportedly shared from terror tunnels underneath Gaza City have previously shown Hamas militants surrounded by food and smiling, while citizens above desperately fight for food.
UN-backed experts have said they have 'mounting evidence of famine' in Gaza, calling for Israel to allow more aid to enter, while Israel insists there is no starvation, arguing Hamas is using a 'famine narrative' for leverage in ceasefire talks, and blocking aid.
As the blame game continues to rage, the international community has been scrambling to air drop vital supplies and food into the war-torn Gaza strip
In desperate scenes, a 15-year-old boy was reportedly crushed to death by a falling pallet yesterday during an airdrop of humanitarian aid near the so-called Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza.
The footage, verified by news agency Al Jazeera, shows people scrambling to try and save Muhannad Zakaria Eid on Saturday.
Some people try to resuscitate the lifeless teenager, whose face appears bloodied.
Other footage shows the boy's brother carrying him away from the site and his father clutching his body at al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat.
Eid's brother told the Reuters news agency the teen was killed after an aid pallet fell on top of him.
'Despite the famine and the hard conditions that we live in, my brother went to get aid that was dropped into the sea by [aero]planes. A box fell on him directly and he was martyred,' he said.
'They [the countries involved in the airdrops] cannot enter the aid through the crossing but they drop them over us and kill our children. A kid was killed in [az-]Zawayda and here and there, and nobody feels us. God is sufficient for us, against them and their aid,' he added.
The tragedy comes amid repeated warnings from the UN that airdrops were potentially dangerous, costly and inefficient.
Around a million civilians are now thought to now be sheltering in the war-torn enclave, which has largely been reduced to rubble after almost two years of bombardment.
Over the last 24 hours, the Hamas-run health ministry claims at least 38 people have been killed and 491 injured as a result of Israeli military. The figures have not yet been independently verified.
Deaths continue to rise amid reports that a deadline of October 7 has been set for residents to evacuate Gaza City following the announcement of a controversial Israeli plan to take control of the area.
The new plan, approved by the Israeli security cabinet and detailed on Friday, lists five 'principles' for ending the war in Gaza, with one being 'taking security control of the territory'.
Reports in Israeli media say the action plan initially focuses on seizing full control of Gaza City, relocating its estimated one million residents further south.
However, the proposals have been met with fierce criticism from the international community, as well as senior figures in the Israeli military.
It comes amid fears over what impact the full-scale onslaught could have on the civilian population still stranded in Gaza - as well as to the remaining Israeli hostages still held captive by terror group Hamas.
Israel has so far shrugged off the criticism from world leaders, with Defence Minister Israel Katz saying global condemnation would 'not weaken our resolve'.
America has seemingly been less critical, with president Donald Trump saying earlier this week it was 'pretty much up to Israel' whether to occupy Gaza or not.
The move to take full control of Gaza could potentially make the plight of Palestinians worse in the short term, with fears the fighting could further restrict aid routes into the enclave.
The UN's humanitarian agency said on Friday the amount of aid entering Gaza continues to be 'far below the minimum required to meet people's immense needs '.
Experts from the UN-backed global food security organisation have warned the 'worst-case scenario of famine' is already playing out.
Israel has denied there is any famine and accused UN agencies of not picking up aid at the borders and delivering it.
But the UN claims its workers are being impeded at the borders.
In its announcement of the plan to seize Gaza City, Israel's prime minister's office insisted it will provide 'humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones'.
However, it did not provide further details of what that might entail.
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The Independent
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- The Independent
Malnourished kids arrive daily at a Gaza hospital as Netanyahu denies hunger
The dead body of 2 1/2-year-old Ro'a Mashi lay on the table in Gaza's Nasser Hospital, her arms and rib cage skeletal, her eyes sunken in her skull. Doctors say she had no preexisting conditions and wasted away over months as her family struggled to find food and treatment. Her family showed The Associated Press a photo of Ro'a's body at the hospital, and it was confirmed by the doctor who received her remains. Several days after she died, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday told local media, 'There is no hunger. There was no hunger. There was a shortage, and there was certainly no policy of starvation.' In the face of international outcry, Netanyahu has pushed back, saying reports of starvation are 'lies' promoted by Hamas. However, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric this week warned that starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at the highest levels since the war began. 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Any improvement is also threatened by a planned new Israeli offensive that Netanyahu says will capture Gaza City and the tent camps where most of the territory's population is located. That will prompt a huge new wave of displacement and disrupt food delivery, U.N. and aid officials warn. Preexisting conditions The Gaza Health Ministry says 42 children died of malnutrition-related causes since July 1, along with 129 adults. It says 106 children have died of malnutrition during the entire war. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, is staffed by medical professionals and its figures on casualties are seen by the U.N. and other experts as the most reliable. The Israeli military Tuesday pointed to the fact that some children who died had preexisting conditions, arguing their deaths were 'unrelated to their nutritional status.' It said a review by its experts had concluded there are 'no signs of a widespread malnutrition phenomenon' in Gaza. At his press briefing Sunday, Netanyahu spoke in front of a screen reading 'Fake Starving Children' over photos of skeletal children with preexisting conditions. He accused Hamas of starving the remaining Israeli hostages and repeated claims the militant group is diverting large amounts of aid, a claim the U.N. denies. Doctors in Gaza acknowledge that some of those dying or starving have chronic conditions, including cerebral palsy, rickets or genetic disorders, some of which make children more vulnerable to malnutrition. However, those conditions are manageable when food and proper medical treatments are available, they say. 'The worsening shortages of food led to these cases' swift deterioration,' said Dr. Yasser Abu Ghali, head of Nasser's pediatrics unit. 'Malnutrition was the main factor in their deaths.' Of 13 emaciated children whose cases the AP has seen since late July, five had no preexisting conditions — including three who died — according to doctors. 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The Independent
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Palestinian children in urgent need of care flown to Italy for treatment
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The Independent
15 hours ago
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Palestinian children in urgent need of medical treatment land in Italy
Palestinian children who are in need of urgent medical care have been evacuated from Gaza to Italy. After landing at Rome Ciampino airport on Wednesday (13 August), the young patients, who are all suffering from severe injuries and amputations or serious congenital diseases, were transported to hospital. Footage shared by the Associated Press on Thursday (14 August) shows patients being wheeled out of the plane on stretchers as numerous ambulances waited to escort them to medical care. Standing on the tarmac, Antonio Tajani, Italy 's foreign minister said: 'The important thing for us is to continue to support the Palestinian people. It is important for us to help those who are suffering, and treat those who are in need in our country.' Italy received 114 evacuees on Wednesday night, with 31 being children.
