-At least 66 children have died from malnutrition in Gaza since October 2023, according to Palestinian figures

GAZA CITY, Palestine / ISTANBUL

In Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood, Palestinian mother Aayat al-Sardi gazes in anguish at two cribs - one empty since her infant son Ahmed died of malnutrition four days ago, the other holding his twin, Mazen, who clings to life amid Israel’s tightened blockade.

Born prematurely in April after years of their parents’ painful wait, including four miscarriages and prolonged medical treatment, Ahmed and Mazen Talib entered a world scarred by conflict.

Israel’s ongoing genocidal war robbed the family of joy. Malnutrition and dire humanitarian conditions forced Sardi to deliver the twins in their seventh month. The twins spent 40 days in intensive care at Al-Helou and Al-Rantisi hospitals, where their mother could not visit them.

The 25-year-old mother described those weeks as agonizing, constantly fearing for their survival. Eventually, her worst fears came true - Ahmad died from hunger.

Now, Mazen battles malnutrition without access to baby formula or supplements, a direct result of Israel’s blockade and systematic starvation, which has choked off aid since March 2, 2025. The blockade has pushed Gaza’s 2.4 million residents into famine, claiming numerous lives.

No baby formula

After being discharged from the hospital, the family was unable to obtain the baby formula needed for the twins’ growth due to Israel’s crippling siege.

“The price of a single can of therapeutic formula - if available - reaches around 200 shekels ($60.1),” Sardi told Anadolu.

By early June, medical centers told the Gazan mother they had run out of formula completely due to the closure of crossings and the halt of aid and medical supplies.

With no alternatives, Sardi tried different types of milk. Ahmad couldn’t keep any of them down.

“The last time he drank, the milk came out of his nose,” she said, choking back tears. “He couldn’t tolerate anything.”

Final moments

Despite the harsh conditions, Sardi sought help from a private doctor. With no public transport available, she walked much of the way from Gaza City to central Gaza.

While resting at her family’s home in the central city of Deir al-Balah, she noticed Ahmad’s skin turn yellow, then blue. His chest emitted a strange whistling sound.

Panicked, she ran from the area of Zawaida to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, carrying her son across several kilometers.

But it was too late. “He arrived dead,” she said, her voice breaking.

Twin at risk

Mazen, now three months old, is surviving on milk designed for 1-year-olds, his mother said. She resorted to using it after failing to find a therapeutic formula.

Every day, Sardi watches him closely, fearing he may suffer the same fate as his brother.

Sardi said her pregnancy was extremely difficult, involving repeated displacement, constant fear of explosions, and lack of proper nutrition.

She eventually gave birth prematurely at seven months due to malnutrition, risking both her life and her babies’ lives.

Hunger

Now, after losing Ahmad, she struggles to provide even the most basic necessities for Mazen - including diapers and food.

“What crime did these children commit to deserve this life and die of hunger?” she asked.

Sardi is just one of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian parents in Gaza facing similar tragedies amid Israel’s months-long siege.

Since October 2023, at least 66 children have died from malnutrition. In early July, a 29-year-old man also died of starvation - the first adult fatality from hunger. Gaza’s Health Ministry has called it a dangerous turning point in the deepening humanitarian crisis.

On Friday, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said about 112 Palestinian children are admitted to Gaza hospitals each day for treatment of malnutrition since January, citing Israel’s continued blockade as the cause.

The Israeli army has killed nearly 57,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and a spread of disease.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense 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.