Gaza death toll nears 63,500 as 7 more Palestinians die of starvation

ANKARA

At least 63,459 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, as seven more people died of starvation in the enclave, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

A ministry statement said that 88 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours, while 421 people were injured, taking the number of injuries to 160,256 in the Israeli onslaught.

“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.

The ministry also noted that 30 Palestinians were killed and over 166 others injured by Israeli army fire while trying to get humanitarian aid in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed while seeking aid to 2,248, with over 16,600 others wounded since May 27.

The ministry said that seven more Palestinians died of malnutrition and starvation in the last 24 hours. This brought the famine-linked death toll since October 2023 to 339 people, including 124 children.

Since March 2, Israeli authorities have completely closed all Gaza border crossings, pushing the territory’s 2.4 million population into famine.

A UN-backed food security assessment has already confirmed famine in northern Gaza and expects it to spread further south by the end of September.

The Israeli army resumed its attacks on the Gaza Strip on March 18 and has since killed 11,328 people and injured 48,215 others, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

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.