In the past 24 hours, six more people have been martyred due to starvation in Gaza, Palestine. As international humanitarian organizations warn of widespread hunger spreading in Gaza, with these latest deaths, the number of people martyred due to starvation in Gaza has increased to 175. This number includes 93 children. During last March, the Israelis completely stopped allowing any food or aid supplies into Gaza. The Gaza Ministry of Health said that due to the lack of fuel, hospitals are facing significant difficulties in providing services. As a result, doctors are forced to provide services only to the most critical patients, according to the ministry.
As the hunger situation in Gaza has worsened to an extreme degree, photos and videos of malnourished children in the city are rapidly circulating on social media. Consequently, international pressure on Israel has increased, forcing them to allow additional aid supplies into Gaza. Last week, Israel announced a pause in attacks at specific times and in certain areas, claiming to allow aid supplies to enter. According to reports, after many months, two lorries carrying 107 tons of diesel are ready on the Egyptian side to enter Gaza. Additionally, four tankers of fuel have been allowed into Gaza through Israel via the UN. This fuel will be used to provide services in hospitals, bakeries, and public kitchens, as well as to maintain other essential services to some extent.
In this situation, some Western and Arab countries are providing food to Gaza through airdrops. Belgium, in cooperation with Jordan, has also provided aid supplies to Gaza via airdrop for the first time in the past 24 hours. However, aid organizations question whether providing aid to Gaza in this manner will provide a safe and desirable solution to the city’s hunger crisis. UNICEF has also stated that aid supplies must be brought into Gaza through every available route in this situation. However, the organization notes that the results achieved by bringing aid supplies by land cannot be achieved solely by providing food through airdrops. The agency has also stated that it is essential to bring at least 500 lorries worth of supplies into Gaza.
The Gaza government said that since late July, when Israel allowed some aid supplies to enter Gaza, about 1,600 lorries of supplies have been brought in. However, sources say that many lorries are being looted by desperate civilians and armed groups. In the past 24 hours, Israeli forces have killed 40 people in Gaza. Among those killed were people trying to reach aid distribution centers set up by Israel through a US-affiliated company in Gaza, as well as an employee of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. Since October 7, 2023, when Israel began its genocidal attacks on the people of Gaza, more than 60,000 people have been martyred.
