12-year-old child dies of malnutrition and dehydration amid Israeli siege in Gaza

GAZA: A child died this morning in Gaza due to starvation and dehydration, bringing the total number of malnutrition-related deaths in the Gaza Strip to 40, according to medical sources. 12-year-old Mustafa Hijazi succumbed to severe malnutrition and dehydration amid a critical shortage of medical supplies at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. The Gaza Strip has been enduring relentless Israeli aggression since October 7, facing extreme humanitarian conditions akin to famine, exacerbated by severe shortages of food, water, medicine, and fuel. Previously, medical sources reported that 50 children in northern Gaza are suffering from malnutrition and starvation. According to reports from Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, about 50 children were suffering from malnutrition due to Israel's blocking of humanitarian aid into the region. "The specter of famine looms over Gaza, and signs of malnutrition are evident in some children. We are attempting to provide minimal medical service s despite the fuel shortages," the sources said. On May 7, Israeli forces occupied the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing, Gaza's sole gateway to the outside world, halting the flow of aid into Gaza and preventing the travel of the wounded and sick abroad for treatment, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis, particularly in the north, where residents have depleted their remaining food supplies amid the scarcity of aid. Relief officials and health experts have warned of famine in Gaza during this summer unless Israel lifts the restrictions on aid, stops the aggression, and restores vital services. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently warned that many Gaza residents are facing "catastrophic levels of hunger and conditions resembling famine." Source: Palestine news & Information Agency - WAFA