Gaza hospital says 21 children died from malnutrition and starvation in 72 hours

Gaza City: Twenty-one children have died in Gaza over the past three days due to malnutrition and starvation, the director of Al-Shifa Hospital said on Tuesday, highlighting the deepening humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged territory.

“These deaths were recorded at hospitals in Gaza, including Al-Shifa in Gaza City, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah and Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis... over the past 72 hours,” Dr Mohammed Abu Salmiya told reporters.

The grim toll comes amid warnings from the United Nations and international agencies that Israel’s military operations and restrictions on aid access are exacerbating conditions for civilians, especially children, in Gaza.

‘Extremely high’ risk of violations

UN human rights chief Volker Türk said Israeli actions in central Gaza carry an “extremely high” risk of serious breaches of international law. “These Israeli airstrikes and ground operations will invariably lead to further civilian deaths and destruction of civilian infrastructure,” he said. “Given the concentration of civilians in the area, and the means and methods of warfare employed by Israel until now, the risks of unlawful killings and other serious violations of international humanitarian law are extremely high.”

Israel continues to conduct military operations across the territory as it attempts to eliminate Hamas. The Israeli military maintains that it is targeting militants and blames Hamas for operating from populated civilian areas.

Aid access under fire

As famine conditions worsen, aid distribution efforts have turned deadly. On Sunday, a food convoy in northern Gaza came under attack, killing at least 80 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The incident marked one of the bloodiest days for aid-seekers since the war began more than 21 months ago.

The World Food Programme (WFP), in a rare condemnation of Israeli actions, said its convoy was fired upon. “The crowd surrounding its convoy ‘came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire,’” the agency said in a statement. The organisation did not cite a specific number of deaths but described the incident as causing the loss of “countless lives”.

“These people were simply trying to access food to feed themselves and their families on the brink of starvation,” the WFP added. It said the attack took place despite Israeli assurances that armed forces would not interfere with humanitarian operations. “Shootings near humanitarian missions, convoys and food distributions must stop immediately.”

The Israeli military did not comment directly on the WFP’s accusations. However, military spokesperson Lt Col Nadav Shoshani said on X that soldiers were ordered “do not engage, do not shoot,” and posted a video purporting to show troops refraining from firing near civilians. The video has not been independently verified.

International media are not permitted access to Gaza, making verification of claims difficult.

Toll mounts as ceasefire talks stall

The situation continues to deteriorate despite ongoing ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas. No breakthrough has been reached, and it remains uncertain whether any truce will bring lasting peace.

Gaza's Health Ministry reports that the death toll has surpassed 59,000, with more than half of the victims being women and children. While the ministry operates under Hamas, the UN and other agencies treat it as the most reliable source of casualty data in the territory.

Meanwhile, Israel has expanded evacuation orders to include relatively less-affected areas, indicating the possibility of new combat zones and further displacement of civilians.

Violence continues throughout Gaza. On Monday, the Health Ministry said at least 13 people, including two women and five children, were killed in Israeli strikes. Two more died in central Gaza near the Netzarim corridor after being shot while waiting for aid trucks, according to Dr Abu Salmiya.

Overnight, an Israeli strike reportedly hit a tent in Khan Younis, killing five people from the same family. Additional strikes targeted tents in the Muwasi area and residential buildings in Gaza City. The Israeli military has not commented on these strikes.

In another development, Israeli forces detained Dr Marwan al-Hams, the acting director of Gaza’s field hospitals and a spokesperson for the Health Ministry. No reason for the arrest was given.

Regional fallout continues

The war in Gaza has also sparked conflict in other parts of the region. On Monday, the Israeli military struck the Hodeidah port in Yemen, targeting Houthi rebel infrastructure it claimed was used to receive weapons from Iran and launch missiles at Israel.

“The Houthis will pay heavy prices for launching missiles towards the state of Israel,” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said. He added that parts of the port had previously been destroyed in earlier strikes.

The war began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Of those, about 50 remain in captivity, and fewer than half are believed to be alive.

(With inputs from AP)