More than 332 Palestinians, including 124 children, have died of starvation under Israel’s blockade, as UN monitors confirm famine spreading across the Strip.
The death of Palestinian infant Rania Ghabn on Saturday at Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital in Gaza City from severe malnutrition underscored the mounting toll of Israel’s blockade and deliberate starvation policies, a medical source told the Anadolu news agency.
Doctors said the baby suffered from prolonged deprivation of food and medicine, as Israel continues to restrict humanitarian aid while waging a genocidal campaign on the enclave for nearly two years.
Her case adds to the rising number of children and adults dying of hunger as famine tightens its grip on Gaza.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported Saturday that 332 people, including 124 children, have died from starvation since October 2023. Of those, 54 people – including nine children – have starved to death since famine was officially declared earlier this year.
More infants diagnosed with malnutrition have been admitted to the Al-Rantisi Children's Hospital in Gaza City due to the ongoing Israeli war of starvation on Gaza. pic.twitter.com/krn65cgxG9
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) July 26, 2025
According to Gaza’s government media office, only 14% of the aid needed to meet the population’s needs is allowed into the Strip, with much of it seized by gangs under Israeli protection.
Large aid stockpiles remain blocked at the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, as Israel has kept all Gaza crossings closed to humanitarian shipments since March 2.
The UN Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed famine in the Gaza Governorate on August 22, warning that it is likely to spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis in the coming weeks.
The IPC estimates that over half a million people are already in famine, while another 1.07 million – more than half of Gaza’s population – face emergency levels of acute food insecurity.
Ongoing Genocide
Since reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, Israel has continued its bloody aerial bombardment across the Gaza Strip, killing and wounding thousands of Palestinians.
Starting on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military, with American support, launched a genocidal war against the people of Gaza. This campaign has so far resulted in the deaths of more than 63,000 Palestinians, with more than 159,000 wounded. The vast majority of the population has been displaced, and the destruction of infrastructure is unprecedented since World War II. Thousands of people are still missing.
In addition to the military assault, the Israeli blockade has caused a man-made famine, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians—mostly children—with hundreds of thousands more at risk.
Despite widespread international condemnation, little has been done to hold Israel accountable. The nation is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
(PC, AA)
