GAZA CITY, Palestine/ISTANBUL

The Palestinian group Hamas warned Tuesday of a meningitis outbreak in the Gaza Strip amid Israel’s ongoing attacks and siege on the enclave.

“The increasing spread of meningitis among children signals a looming catastrophe and new dangers threatening Gaza’s children,” Hamas said in a statement.

The group said that hundreds of meningitis cases were recorded in Gaza in recent days.

“The outbreak comes amid a collapse of the health system, deepening famine, widespread malnutrition, and severe shortages of infant formula caused by the Israeli blockade and attacks,” it added.

Hamas appealed to the international community, the UN, and the World Health Organization (WHO) to “urgently intervene to save Gaza’s children from an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.”

It also called for immediate action to break the Israeli siege and deliver essential medical supplies to the Palestinians in Gaza.

Since the start of its war on Gaza, Israel has systematically targeted the territory’s health infrastructure and enforced a crippling blockade that has severely restricted the entry of medical supplies and fuel needed to run hospitals.

Despite international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a deadly war on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 56,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, 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.