29 dead from starvation as Gaza's hunger crisis deepens

Gaza’s Health Minister, Majed Abu Ramadan, reported on Thursday that 29 people—mostly children and elderly — have died in recent days due to starvation-related causes amid worsening humanitarian conditions in the besieged enclave. He also warned that thousands more are at imminent risk of starvation.

This comes as limited humanitarian aid is expected to begin arriving in Gaza after Israel allowed the first trucks through following an 11-week blockade.

However, Palestinian officials and humanitarian agencies say the initial aid deliveries are far from sufficient to address the growing crisis.

"In the last couple of days, we lost 29 children," Abu Ramadan initially stated, later clarifying the toll includes both children and elderly individuals. He referred to an earlier warning by the UN aid chief that 14,000 infants could die without assistance as “very realistic” and possibly an underestimation.

Israel imposed a near-total blockade on supplies to Gaza in March, citing concerns that Hamas was diverting aid for military use — an allegation Hamas denies.

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A recent report by a global hunger monitoring group warned that approximately 500,000 people in Gaza face starvation.

Abu Ramadan also highlighted the collapse of the healthcare system, noting that only 7 to 8 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza are partially functioning, with more than 90% of essential medical supplies depleted. He added that the recent aid convoys mostly contain flour for bakeries, with no significant medical supplies included so far.

Humanitarian agencies continue to urge unrestricted access to deliver life-saving assistance to civilians in Gaza.