ISTANBUL 

Two more people died of starvation in the Israel-blockaded Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours, a health official said on Thursday.

Muneer Alboursh, Director General of the Gaza Health Ministry, said a child was among the two victims, without giving details about their ages.

The new fatalities brought the total number of famine-related deaths in Gaza since October 2023 to 159, including 90 children.

“They did not die suddenly. They withered – day after day, under a blockade that denies food and medicine, and amid global silence that equates the oppressor with the victim,” Alboursh said.

“Every number is a name. Every child was a dream. Every martyr just needed a meal… or milk… or care.”

Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for 18 years and, since March 2, has shut down all crossings, blocking the entry of humanitarian aid and worsening conditions for the territory’s 2.4 million population.

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.