4 days ago
UN Warns Israel's War On Gaza Is Silently Erasing Families And A Whole Generation – Here's The Starvation Death Toll
Israel-Palestine War: Entire families and a generation are being wiped out in Gaza, said the United Nations, highlighting the devastating impact of Israel's ongoing war on the strip. The Health Ministry in Gaza announced the deaths of five Palestinians, including a child, from malnutrition over the past 24 hours due to the severe blockade imposed by Israel. The total number of hunger-related deaths now has reached to 222, including 101 children.
An additional death of a five-year-old boy, Mohammed Zakaria Khader, was later confirmed by the Palestinian Wafa news agency. It raised the count of malnutrition deaths in a single day to six.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) described the dire situation, adding that children in Gaza are dying both from starvation and ongoing bombardments. The agency condemned inaction and silence of the world, urging immediate ceasefire measures to stop the destruction of entire communities.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that hunger and malnutrition levels in Gaza have reached unprecedented heights. More than a third of Gaza's population endures days without food, while around half a million (5 lakh) people face the brink of famine.
It emphasised the urgent need for a massive influx of food aid to prevent further disaster.
Citing medical sources, Al Jazeera reported that at least 46 Palestinians were killed in Israeli air raids across Gaza since early Monday, including six civilians seeking aid. Among the recent casualties, al-Aqsa Hospital reported the deaths of four Palestinians in the southern and eastern parts of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society also confirmed three civilian deaths and multiple injuries in an attack on the Zeitoun neighbourhood of southern Gaza City.
Palestinian civilians, seeking humanitarian aid, daily face deadly risks at distribution points operated by the United States and Israeli-backed Gaza Health Foundation (GHF).
A grieving father, Ismail Qandil, narrated from al-Shifa Hospital how his unarmed son was killed while searching for food. He expressed anguish over the relentless hunger and violence and emphasised that their families are not part of any resistance movement but are being destroyed nonetheless.
The conflict has claimed over 61,499 Palestinian lives and wounded more than 153,575 since October 7, 2023, including at least 270 journalists and media workers. The assassination of five Al Jazeera Arabic journalists in a drone strike near al-Shifa Hospital's gate on Sunday drew widespread mourning and condemnation. The attack claimed the life of Anas al-Sharif, a correspondent who had faced accusations from the Israeli army linking him to Hamas.
UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan criticised Israel's allegations against al-Sharif, saying Tel Aviv had no credible evidence of his alleged ties to Hamas. Khan highlighted that such claims often serve to discredit journalists reporting from Gaza, equating criticism of Israel to anti-Semitism.
He observed that silencing journalists limits international awareness of what could become a large-scale humanitarian catastrophe.
