Israel has intensified its starvation campaign on Gaza, leading to an increase in the rate of famine. While previously, Palestinians were reporting elevated prices for basic commodities, now, Palestinians are reporting that there are no food items in the markets in the first place.
Yesterday, Al Jazeera reported that Israeli forces have killed at least 115 Palestinians in Gaza, including 92 people who were shot dead while trying to get food at the Zikim crossing in the north and aid points in Rafah and Khan Younis in the south. The article also indicated that health authorities reported that at least 19 individuals have died from starvation over the past day.
Yesterday, four-year-old Palestinian girl Razan Abu Zaher died from severe malnutrition and lack of milk. Megaphone reported that 71 children have died of famine in Gaza, and 620 people have fallen ill or died due to severe shortages of food and medicine.
Continued Blockade
The Israeli blockade is nearing the half-year mark, stopping all organizations from entering Gaza and only allowing distributions through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-supported platform now known for being a death trap for Palestinians looking for aid.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) released several statements. The organization stated that Israeli authorities are starving civilians in Gaza.
It also affirmed that it has enough stock outside of Gaza for the entire population for the next three months, but that it wasn’t allowed to bring any aid in since March 2. They asserted that the situation is all “man made, in total impunity.”
