15 die in one day amid Gaza food crisis

Gaza is experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis caused by the Israeli blockade and the halt of food aid. In the last 24 hours, at least 15 people have died of hunger, including a newborn baby just six weeks old.

Qatar-based news agency Al Jazeera reported that the baby who died was named Yusuf Abu Jahir. He passed away in a hospital in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, because of a shortage of milk. The baby’s uncle, Adham Al-Safadi, told Reuters that milk is unavailable in the market, and if it is found, a single tin costs nearly $100. This information was shared on Wednesday (July 23).

The report also highlighted that three children were among those who died of hunger on Tuesday, including 13-year-old Abdulhamid Al-Ghalban, who passed away in a hospital in Khan Yunis.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, since Israel launched its military operation in October 2023, at least 101 people have died from hunger and malnutrition, with 80 of them being children. A large number of these deaths have occurred in recent weeks.

Israel closed Gaza’s entry points in March, causing the food crisis to worsen. In May, limited aid was allowed through a private group called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), supported by the US and Israel, but the United Nations was completely excluded from this process.

According to the UN Human Rights Office, more than a thousand Palestinians have died from Israeli attacks while trying to get aid since May.

Observers and human rights groups warn that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is steadily getting worse.