289 Palestinians, including 115 children, die of hunger: Gaza Ministry of Health

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Sunday that 289 Palestinians, including 115 children, died of hunger amid the ongoing starvation crisis in the enclave.

Munir Al-Bursh, Director of the Ministry, prescribed Al Jazeera That the situation required a huge humanitarian response, warning that the authorities were “in a race against time to deal with famine”.

He said that eight Palestinians, including a child, had died of food shortages in the last 24 hours.

In addition, at least 16 Palestinians have been killed in all Enclave medical sources. The victims included at least seven assistance applicants killed while waiting for food near the distribution points. During the last 24 hours of reporting, the bodies of 64 people and 278 Palestinian injured were taken to hospitals throughout the besieged enclave, hospital officials said.

Hospital sources reported that at least five of the victims were shot while waiting for food near the distribution points organized by the US backed by the US.

Since the launch of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed and thousands of injuries while seeking help, according to data reported by the UN. Of these, 766 people died near GHF aid points, while another 288 were killed near the UN or other escorts. At least 516 deaths and about 3,800 injuries were only documented in the first month.

However, the US announced $ 30 million in funding for GHF, even when the rights groups accused Israel of using hunger as a weapon. The number of deaths from help queues continues to grow, stressing how the controversial role of exclusion and GHF has been combined to make humanitarian relief both rare and lethal.

Reading: The international community reacts to confirmation of Gaza famine

Meanwhile, the head of the children’s department at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis warned that the health crisis in southern Gaza had reached a “disastrous level”, saying that the facility could no longer face the increase in malnourished children Al Jazeera reports.

“One in four children in Gaza is already suffering from malnutrition and between 60,000 and 75,000 children in southern Gaza is in danger,” said Dr. Ahmed Al-Farra, describing the figures as “scary and unprecedented”.

According to him, 25 children are currently in critical condition, with some on the floor due to lack of beds. He added that some children arrive at the hospital after losing their lives outside the gates of “due to lack of milk and treatment”.

He added that Nasser’s malnutrition clinic, which operates only two days a week, receives more than 120 cases within a few hours – ten times higher than before.

City of Gaza officially in hunger

The United Nations on Friday declared hunger in the city of Gaza, the first such announcement in the Middle East and only on the fifth official statement worldwide. The unobtrusive integrated phase of food safety (IPC) phase has confirmed famine conditions in the city of Gaza and the surrounding areas, warning that more than 500,000 people are experiencing catastrophic hunger.

“It’s a famine: Gaza’s famine,” UN emergency coordinator Tom Fletcher said, accusing Israel of the crisis and accusing him of “systematic obstruction” of help deliveries.

IPC warned that famine is expected to spread to Deir El-Balah and Khan Younis until next month.

The IPC said that about 514,000 people – almost a quarter of the Gaza population – are already hungry. The number is expected to reach 641,000 by the end of September, he added.

Read more: Gaza city officially in hunger, says Global Hunger Monitor

Port sorting

The IPC – an initiative that includes 21 aid groups, United Nations organizations and regional organizations funded by the European Union, Germany, Britain and Canada – has only recorded Lims four times in Somalia in 2011, South Sudan in 2017 and 2020 in Sudan.

In order to classify an area as a hunger, at least 20% of people have to suffer from extreme food deficiencies, with one in three children suffering strongly malnourished and two people from every 10,000 die daily from starvation or malnutrition and illness.

New strikes

Israeli planes and tanks hit the east and northern suburbs of the city of Gaza during the night on Saturday to Sunday, destroying buildings and houses, residents said, as Israeli leaders swore to push for a city.

Witnesses reported the sound of explosions without interruption at night in the areas of Zeitoun and Shejaia, while tanks dug houses and roads in the nearby Sabra neighborhood and many buildings were blown up in the northern city of Jabalia.

Israel’s War in Gaza

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks across Gaza have killed at least 62,686 people and were injured 157,951, the Palestinian Ministry of Health at Enclave says.

The latter deaths increase the total number of aid applicants killed by the Israeli fire since the establishment of GHF backed by the US and Israel in late May at 2,095, with more than 15,431 injured.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its enclave war. The proposed agreement includes a cessation of hostilities, increased humanitarian aid and negotiations for the liberation of prisoners.