GAZA CITY, Palestine / ISTANBUL 

Another Palestinian died this week in central Gaza after suffering complications from severe malnutrition as a direct consequence of Israel’s starvation policy and a deepening famine in the besieged territory.

Karim Khaled al-Jamal, 26, was admitted to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza in critical condition due to severe malnutrition. He had required a therapeutic diet that was unavailable amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s weeks-long siege.

Jamal had long suffered from muscular atrophy and partial paralysis. He was displaced from Rafah in southern Gaza to the Nuseirat refugee camp in the center of the enclave after Israeli bombardment intensified in his hometown.

There, his condition silently worsened, far from the frontlines.

Unable to digest solid food, he had survived on a diet of blended fruits for 26 years, his uncle, Mohammad al-Jamal, told Anadolu.

“We used to provide everything he needed, and despite his illness, he was in stable condition,” his uncle said.

“But after we were displaced and the famine spread, we couldn’t even secure the basics. There were no fruits, no electricity to power the blender, nor food he could digest. We had to change his diet, and his body began collapsing day by day. We watched him suffer in front of us, powerless to help.”

Jamal was first taken to Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat, then transferred to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, where he died after days of suffering, amid a severe shortage of medical supplies and therapeutic nutrition.

- Choking siege

Gaza’s Health Ministry said Thursday that the number of Palestinians who have died due to starvation and malnutrition has risen to 159, including 90 children, since the Israeli war began in October 2023.

Hundreds more are believed to be at risk as the Israeli blockade continues to choke aid access.

Last week, the UN World Food Program (WFP) warned that one-third of Gaza’s population has gone days without food due to the ongoing Israeli blockade.

“The hunger crisis in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels of desperation,” said Ross Smith, WFP’s director of emergency preparedness and response. “A third of the population goes several days in a row without food.”

Despite a buildup of aid trucks at Gaza’s borders, Israel continues to restrict their entry and distribution, often bypassing UN coordination.

In many cases, Israeli forces have opened fire on civilians gathered to collect food. Since May 27, at least 1,330 Palestinians have been killed and more than 8,818 injured in such incidents, according to the Health Ministry on Thursday.

The Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 60,200 Palestinians. The relentless bombardment has devastated the enclave and led to food shortages.

On Monday, Israeli rights groups B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, citing the systematic destruction of Palestinian society and the deliberate dismantling of the territory’s healthcare system.

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.