Disabled Gaza boy dies from Israeli-induced starvation weighing less than 7 pounds

GAZA CITY, Palestine/ISTANBUL

A 5-year-old Palestinian boy died Monday from severe malnutrition caused by a shortage of food and nutritional supplements amid Israel’s blockade since March, according to medical sources.

A medical source at the Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza told Anadolu that Muhammad Zakaria Khudr, who had a physical disability, saw his weight drop from 12 kilograms (26 pounds) to 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) before his death.

Video circulating on social media showed the boy’s emaciated body, with his ribs clearly visible. His father said Muhammad’s weight loss and death were caused by a lack of milk and food supplies.

Hospitals in Gaza continue to report deaths linked to malnutrition as Israel began allowing limited shipments of goods and humanitarian aid about two weeks ago.

The Gaza Media Office said Sunday that Israel permitted 1,210 aid trucks into the territory for 14 days, meeting just 14% of the estimated 8,400 trucks needed during that period to address famine conditions.

The Gaza Health Ministry said Monday the death toll from hunger and malnutrition had risen to 222, including 101 children, after five more Palestinians died in the last 24 hours.

Since March 2, Israel has closed all crossings into Gaza, blocking the entry of humanitarian aid and pushing the territory into famine conditions, despite relief trucks accumulating at the border. Only limited deliveries have been allowed, far short of the population’s needs.

The World Food Program said one-third of the population has gone days without eating, calling the situation “unprecedented” in the levels of hunger and desperation. The UN estimates hundreds of aid trucks must enter daily to end the famine caused by the blockade and war.

Israel is facing mounting condemnation for its genocidal war on Gaza, where it has killed nearly 61,500 victims since October 2023.

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.