HAMILTON, Canada 

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) issued a stark warning Monday over the worsening hunger crisis in the Gaza Strip, calling it a "man-made disaster" as Israel's ongoing aid blockade drives deadly malnutrition among children.

"Hunger is widespread in Gaza and people are dying," the agency said on X, painting a grim picture of daily life under Israeli siege.

Noting that "deadly malnutrition among children is reaching catastrophic levels," UNICEF said that "food is dangerously scarce, and clean water is below emergency levels."

"Aid is severely restricted and dangerous to access," the UN agency added.

Emphasizing the urgency of the situation, UNICEF said: "Enough is enough. The United Nations must be allowed to deliver aid of all types at scale to families, wherever they are."

"Starvation is a horrific reality for children and families in Gaza," it said, stressing that aid must be allowed urgently into the enclave.

UNICEF’s warning came amid Israel's relentless attacks across the Gaza Strip, which show no sign of abating, even as a deepening famine claims more lives.

At least 18 people have died from starvation over the past 24 hours alone, highlighting the escalating humanitarian catastrophe as relentless bombardment and deprivation converge to push civilians beyond the brink.

Israel has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in the Gaza Strip since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, collapsed the health system and led to severe 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.