Hospitals across Gaza have reported that the death toll from Israeli attacks has climbed to 30 since dawn today, including seven Palestinians who were seeking aid.
Medical sources at Al-Shifa Hospital confirmed five fatalities following an Israeli bombardment on Jabaliya al-Nazla in northern Gaza. According to Al-Jazeera, the number of casualties is expected to rise.
Meanwhile, Nasser Medical Complex announced that five people were killed and more than 10 others injured early Friday after an Israeli airstrike targeted a home in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
In central Gaza, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital reported the death of a one-and-a-half-year-old girl in Deir al-Balah, who succumbed to severe malnutrition.
Starvation as a Weapon
The hunger crisis in Gaza is rapidly worsening under a suffocating Israeli siege imposed on more than 2 million people.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza stated that emergency rooms are witnessing an unprecedented influx of patients of all ages suffering from hunger-related exhaustion.
“Hundreds of severely emaciated individuals are at imminent risk of death from starvation, as their bodies can no longer endure the extreme deprivation,” the ministry warned.
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The director of Al-Shifa Hospital told Al-Jazeera that at least 17,000 children are suffering from acute malnutrition, with hospitals unable to meet the overwhelming demand for beds and essential medicines. He added that many patients are also experiencing severe stress and memory loss due to prolonged starvation.
The Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas condemned the blockade-induced famine as a deliberate crime against humanity, urging urgent popular and official action to end “this horrific crime” and rescue the hundreds of thousands of people facing starvation.
The Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network also sounded the alarm, declaring that Gaza is now enduring the worst phase of its humanitarian catastrophe due to the enforced starvation policy.
According to Gaza’s media office, the number of children who have died from malnutrition has reached 69, while total deaths from lack of food and medicine have climbed to 620.
Bombardment amid Negotiations
After over 650 days of Israel’s war of annihilation on Gaza, the occupation army continues to bombard displaced and starving civilians.
On Thursday, Israeli forces bombed a church in Gaza City, killing three people and injuring around ten others. The attack drew condemnation from French President Emmanuel Macron and other international leaders.
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Meanwhile, negotiations in Doha continue. Hamas has reiterated its refusal to allow any part of Gaza to be separated or subjected to Israeli presence.
US and Israeli media report that mediators have presented updated proposals for a potential prisoner exchange and ceasefire, as Qatari-US discussions proceed.
With unwavering American support, Israel’s assault on Gaza since October 7, 2023, has killed or injured more than 195,000 Palestinians, the majority women and children. Over 14,000 remain missing, and hundreds of thousands have been forcibly displaced.
(PC, AJA)
