Fatma Hijazi cradles the lifeless body of her 10-year-old son, Mustafa Hijazi, who died from malnutrition and lack of medical care in Deir al-Balah, Gaza. Taken on June 14, this image captures the escalating humanitarian catastrophe as Gaza’s hunger crisis worsens—10 more Palestinians have died of starvation amid Israel’s ongoing blockade. Image: Getty Images.
(The Post News)– At least ten more Palestinians have died of hunger in Gaza, health authorities said on Wednesday, pushing the malnutrition toll past 110 since the war began in October 2023. With aid blocked at the borders and hopes for a truce fading, Gaza’s crisis has turned increasingly grim.
Despite months of talks, no agreement has emerged since the collapse of a ceasefire in March. Israeli President Isaac Herzog told troops during a recent visit to Gaza that “intensive negotiations” were ongoing to bring back captives still held in the enclave. “I hope we’ll soon hear good news,” he said in an official statement.
But officials on both sides say major gaps remain. A senior Palestinian official, speaking ahead of meetings in Doha, said Hamas is open to a response, but only if Israel agrees to clearer terms on troop withdrawal and the flow of humanitarian aid during any pause in fighting.
Inside Gaza, daily life is crumbling. According to the Ministry of Health, over 100 Palestinians were killed by Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours alone, including 34 people queuing for food. The World Health Organization confirmed that at least 21 young children have died from hunger this year. For nearly three months, from March to May, no food was delivered at all, the agency said. Aid levels have remained far below what’s needed to meet even basic survival needs since then.
Ross Smith from the UN World Food Programme explained that the biggest challenge is ensuring safety. “We need no armed actors near our distribution points or convoys,” he said. Without that, they can’t operate. A joint statement from 111 aid groups, including Mercy Corps and Refugees International, described the crisis as “mass starvation,” accusing Israel of blocking access while food and medicine pile up just outside the strip. The United Nations has also raised alarm that over two million people in Gaza rely almost entirely on aid to survive.
Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Deir el-Balah for Al Jazeera, said hunger now rivals bombings in its toll. “Families aren’t asking for enough anymore; they’re asking for anything,” he reported. Meanwhile, two more Palestinian journalists, Tamer al-Za’anin and Walaa al-Jabari, were confirmed killed by Israeli strikes. Gaza’s Government Media Office said this brings the number of media workers killed since October to 231.
As the war grinds on, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is headed to Europe for what the White House called “very sensitive” ceasefire talks, backed by Egypt and Qatar. But with food aid still trickling in and no political resolution in sight, Gaza’s humanitarian disaster is deepening by the day.
Email: Journalist-Nkosinathi@thepostnews.net
About the Author
Discover more from The Post News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
