Death toll in Gaza reaches to 61,158; 193 die from starvation

At least 135 Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours as Israeli air and ground attacks intensified across the Gaza Strip, bringing the total death toll since October 2023 to 61,158, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Among the dead were 87 people who had gathered at aid distribution points run by the US-Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). An additional 771 wounded were admitted to hospitals, while 13 more, including a child, died from starvation and malnutrition, amid Israel’s continued blockade of food and medicine.

The number of Palestinians who have died from starvation now stands at 193—96 of them children, reports Al Jazeera.

Despite Israel’s declaration of a “temporary pause” to allow humanitarian access, strikes have continued unabated. Eyewitnesses reported direct attacks on civilians lining up for food aid. “Since GHF began operations on May 27, people waiting for food have repeatedly come under fire,” according to the report.

On Wednesday morning, another 23 Palestinians were killed, including six shot near the Zikim crossing as they approached a GHF relief center. Victims, many with bullet wounds to the head, chest, and neck, were taken to Al-Shifa Hospital. Separately, an Israeli airstrike on a home near the Nusairat refugee camp killed five, including a woman and two children, according to Al-Awda Hospital sources.

A statement from the Gaza Government Media Office warned of a “deepening humanitarian disaster.” Officials accused Israeli forces of deliberately sabotaging aid routes and fostering chaos. “The occupation is engineering starvation by forcing aid trucks onto bombed, unsafe roads,” the statement said. At least 20 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured when a truck overturned on such a route in central Gaza.

“We strongly condemn this criminal policy,” the statement added, calling it a “full-fledged genocide” under international law.

Since the second phase of Israel’s offensive resumed on March 18, after a short-lived ceasefire, at least 9,575 more Palestinians have been killed and 38,757 injured.

Humanitarian agencies continue to raise alarm over the worsening conditions. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported that only 95 aid trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday—far short of the 600 needed daily to meet basic needs. The current average remains at 85 trucks per day.

“I used to weigh 80 kilos. Now I weigh 40. I can’t walk 20 kilometers to Rafah to find food,” said one Gaza resident.

Health officials warn that famine is spreading rapidly, especially among children and the elderly. Suhaib al-Hams, director of the Kuwaiti Hospital in Khan Younis, urged civilians to avoid GHF aid centers, calling them “death traps.”

Israel’s assault began after the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and saw 251 hostages taken. The Israeli government says it is continuing military operations to secure the release of around 50 remaining captives, of whom at least 20 are believed to be alive.

International calls for a lasting ceasefire continue to mount, but conditions on the ground remain dire.