ISTANBUL

At least 14 more Palestinians, including two children, died of starvation in the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours as famine induced by Israel’s months-long siege continues to worsen, the Health Ministry said on Monday.

“Hospitals recorded 14 new deaths in the past 24 hours due to famine and malnutrition, including two children who died of hunger,” the ministry said in a statement.

The new fatalities brought the death toll from starvation in Gaza since October 2023 to 147, including 88 children.

Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for 18 years, and since March 2 has shut down all crossings, worsening humanitarian conditions in the enclave.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages.

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.