66 children die from malnutrition in Gaza under Israeli blockade since October 2023

GAZA CITY, Palestine/ANKARA

At least 66 Palestinian children have died from acute malnutrition in the Gaza Strip under Israel’s blockade since October 2023, local authorities said Saturday, as severe shortages of food, medical supplies and baby formula continue to grip the enclave.

The infant deaths reflect the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Israel has imposed a siege since Oct. 7, 2023, tightening restrictions on aid and fuel.

The latest fatalities include three infants who died from malnutrition and lack of medicine this week.

Jouri al-Masri, three months old, died Thursday in Deir al-Balah after her family was unable to obtain the specialized therapeutic milk she needed, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.

On the same day, 5-month-old Nidal Sharab and 10-day-old Kinda al-Hams died at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, with their families blaming extreme malnutrition and critical shortages of medical supplies.

“These deaths reflect the ongoing war crime of denying access to life-saving essentials,” the media office said, describing the blockade and border closure as a “crime against humanity and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.”

The office also condemned what it called the international community’s “shameful silence” in the face of systematic starvation in Gaza.

On Friday, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said an estimated 112 children are being admitted to Gaza hospitals each day for malnutrition treatment.

Israel has kept Gaza’s main crossings largely closed since March 2, blocking hundreds of aid and supply trucks. UN agencies say Gaza requires at least 500 trucks daily to meet basic needs, but often fewer than 50 are allowed to enter.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli military has carried out a deadly offensive on Gaza since October, killing more than 56,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to Gaza health officials.

The International Criminal Court in November issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war on the enclave.