Gaza Hospital Reports 21 Children’s Deaths Linked to Malnutrition and Starvation Over Three Days

The director of Gaza’s largest hospital recently reported that 21 children have lost their lives due to malnutrition and starvation in just three days, as Israel continues its intense offensive. “Twenty-one children have died due to malnutrition and starvation in various areas across the Gaza Strip,” stated Mohammed Abu Salmiya, the head of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, during a press conference.

With a population exceeding two million, Gaza is currently grappling with critical shortages of food and essential supplies. Tragically, many residents have been killed while attempting to gather humanitarian aid from increasingly scarce distribution points. Mr. Abu Salmiya emphasized that new cases of malnutrition are flooding into the remaining operational hospitals, with alarming predictions of further fatalities from starvation.

After negotiations to extend a six-week ceasefire collapsed, Israel implemented a full blockade on Gaza on March 2 of this year, restricting any supplies until late May when only a trickle of aid was permitted. The humanitarian situation has declined sharply, with stocks built up during the ceasefire now nearly depleted—leaving residents facing the most acute shortages since the war began in October 2023.

As chaos erupts around aid distribution points, the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has effectively sidelined a broad UN delivery network. The United Nations has reported that over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces while seeking food assistance since the foundation began operating.

Amidst this turmoil, the Israeli military claims there are 950 trucks of aid waiting in Gaza for international organizations to distribute. “This is after Israel facilitated the aid entry into Gaza,” wrote military spokesman Nadav Shoshani on social media.

Tragically, the conflict is escalating. Earlier reports indicated that Israeli airstrikes resulted in 15 deaths, following attacks on World Health Organization facilities amid expanding ground operations. Civil defense officials noted that the Al-Shati camp near Gaza City experienced a particularly deadly strike, killing at least 13 individuals and injuring over 50.

Eyewitness Raed Bakr recounted his experience: “I felt like I was in a nightmare. Fire, dust, and smoke filled the air—my children were screaming.” With his wife having been killed last year, the emotional toll of living through such devastation is unimaginable.

Reflecting on the humanitarian crisis, Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa described the situation in Gaza as “morally unacceptable” after a recent visit, where he witnessed significant suffering firsthand. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also accused Israeli troops of violating the sanctity of their staff quarters, allegedly detaining and interrogating staff under duress.

As Israeli military operations expanded in Deir el-Balah, local officials reported two additional fatalities. In a troubling pattern, OCHA estimated that 88% of Gaza is now under evacuation orders or military control, causing severe crowding among the 2.4 million inhabitants.

Despite the devastation, Israeli far-right leaders convened to discuss redevelopment plans for Gaza, envisioning a “luxury Riviera” with housing for 1.2 million new residents, industrial zones, and tourism complexes along the coast. This contrasts starkly with the living conditions faced by the local population.

Reports indicate that recent Israeli assaults resulted in 130 additional Palestinian fatalities within 24 hours, with tanks pushing into densely populated areas of Deir el-Balah.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric highlighted the need for the protection of civilian sites following strikes on UN facilities, reaffirming, “These locations must be protected, regardless of evacuation orders.”

Amid this dire backdrop, the WHO reported attacks on their facilities, leading to detentions among staff members. Health officials in Gaza are grappling with severe shortages of food, fuel, and medicine, warning of impending mass death from starvation unless conditions improve.

In an attempt to address this escalating crisis, the U.S. announced the dispatch of envoy Steve Witkoff to the region to negotiate a potential humanitarian corridor. “We hope to achieve a ceasefire that allows aid to flow to those in desperate need,” stated State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. However, details remain scarce regarding how this initiative will interact with the ongoing humanitarian operations in Gaza.

As the situation intensifies, it becomes crucial to remember the impact on families like that of Marwan Al-Hams, whose leadership of Gaza’s field hospitals was abruptly disrupted by the conflict.

Efforts continue to mediate a ceasefire, but humanitarian conditions worsen by the hour. “As more lives are lost and hunger envelops our people, it strains our efforts to reach a peaceful resolution,” remarked a Hamas official, underscoring the urgency of the crisis.

In the words of humanitarian advocates, “Compassion must prevail in times of conflict.”

Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring