GAZA CITY, Palestine / ISTANBUL

Five more Palestinians died of starvation in the last 24 hours in the Gaza Strip, bringing the death toll since October 2023 to 193, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

A ministry statement added that 96 children were among the victims.

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.

According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, Israel had allowed in just 843 aid trucks since July 27 – far short of the 6,000 trucks required to meet the daily needs of residents over 10 days.

Israel has been facing mounting outrage over its destructive war on Gaza, where more than 61,000 people have been killed since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.

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.