Starvation Deepens in Gaza: Six More Die, Bringing Death Toll to 175 Amid Ongoing Blockade
The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has taken yet another tragic turn. In the past 24 hours alone, six more people have died from starvation and malnutrition, the Gaza Health Ministry confirmed on Sunday. This brings the total number of people who have died from hunger since the outbreak of war to 175, including 93 children.
The announcement comes as the international community watches the unfolding disaster with increasing alarm. The mounting death toll is being seen by many aid agencies as evidence of a slowly unfolding famine — one that could claim many more lives if relief efforts do not rapidly expand.
Desperate Conditions Worsening by the Day
Gaza’s humanitarian infrastructure has been crippled by months of war, displacement, and restricted access to basic necessities. Hospitals lack fuel. Food supplies are dangerously low. Clean water is scarce.
While hunger has always been a threat in Gaza, it has now become a deadly reality for hundreds of thousands. Malnutrition, especially among children, is spiking, and medical workers are overwhelmed by cases of dehydration, hunger, and disease.
Fuel: A Rare and Precious Lifeline
In a rare development, Egyptian state television reported that two trucks carrying fuel were scheduled to enter Gaza on Sunday. While this is a step forward, humanitarian groups argue that such limited fuel deliveries are grossly inadequate for the scale of the crisis.
Fuel is critical in war-torn Gaza — not just for powering hospitals, but also for pumping water, running bakeries, transporting food aid, and operating generators in clinics and homes. Without it, entire communities are plunged into darkness, thirst, and helplessness.
Since March 2025, fuel shipments have been nearly halted after Israel intensified its blockade, citing the need to apply pressure on Hamas to release hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 attacks. Israel claims these strict measures are a tool to force negotiations, but critics argue they are collective punishment affecting millions of innocent civilians.
The War’s Bloody Toll
The current war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters crossed into southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.
In retaliation, Israel launched a massive military campaign in Gaza, including airstrikes, ground invasions, and a near-total blockade of goods, fuel, and medical supplies. As of August 2025, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health officials — many of them women and children.
These numbers continue to climb as Israeli strikes and operations intensify across the densely populated enclave.
Attempted Aid Measures: Too Little, Too Late?
In response to growing international outrage, Israel has recently announced steps to ease humanitarian suffering:
- Limited daily pauses in fighting in certain areas.
- Approval for air drops of aid.
- Protected corridors for humanitarian convoys.
While these measures appear promising on paper, ground realities tell a different story. Local sources, humanitarian workers, and eyewitnesses have reported that many aid convoys are being looted by desperate displaced people or armed gangs, as law and order breaks down in several parts of Gaza.
1,600 Aid Trucks Entered — But Is It Enough?
The Hamas-run Gaza Government Media Office reported that nearly 1,600 aid trucks have entered Gaza since Israel’s easing of restrictions in late July. However, the scale of need far exceeds this number.
Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, many of whom are internally displaced, require daily humanitarian assistance just to survive. Several aid trucks have been seized before reaching proper distribution centers, and even when deliveries succeed, they often run out within hours.
A Ceasefire That Collapsed — And Brought Back Suffering
Back in January and February, during a temporary ceasefire, more than 700 trucks of fuel and goods made it into Gaza. Life showed brief signs of improvement. Hospitals restarted essential services, bakeries reopened, and aid reached refugee camps.
However, talks to extend the truce collapsed in March, and Israel resumed its offensive with renewed force. The return to full-scale war marked a swift decline in humanitarian access and a steep rise in civilian deaths and suffering.
Sunday’s Airstrikes Claim More Lives
Sunday was another day of tragedy. According to Palestinian health officials, at least 40 more people were killed across Gaza in Israeli airstrikes and gunfire.
Among the dead were individuals trying to reach aid distribution points in southern and central Gaza, as well as civilians sheltering in makeshift camps. Witnesses reported chaos, confusion, and panic as people scrambled for food and water amid the roar of drones and jets.
Red Crescent Hit: Medical Staff Member Killed
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed that one of their staff members was killed when an Israeli strike hit their headquarters in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The attack ignited a fire on the first floor of the building, further jeopardizing ongoing emergency medical operations.
Health workers say they are working under inhuman conditions, often risking their lives just to reach patients. Equipment is broken. Shelves are empty. Surgeons work with minimal supplies, sometimes without anesthesia.
Children: The Silent Victims of Hunger
Of the 175 people who have died from hunger-related causes, 93 were children. This is perhaps the most haunting detail of all.
Children are the most vulnerable in any crisis. Malnutrition at a young age can lead not only to death but to lifelong physical and mental disabilities. Aid workers report heartbreaking scenes of emaciated infants, mothers with no milk to give, and orphans left alone in rubble-strewn streets.
The psychological toll on Gaza’s youth — those who survive — will be incalculable.
Global Responsibility and the Call for Action
International humanitarian organizations have called on both Israel and Hamas to agree to a sustained ceasefire, allow unrestricted humanitarian access, and ensure the protection of civilians and aid workers.
There is growing pressure on the United Nations, Red Cross, and regional powers to broker another truce that would allow essential supplies to enter and give relief agencies time to restore critical infrastructure.
Without immediate and large-scale intervention, the world may soon witness a famine in real-time, not caused by drought or nature — but by war and policy.
Time Is Running Out
The suffering in Gaza is no longer a distant geopolitical issue. It is a humanitarian emergency happening in front of the world’s eyes. Every hour of delay in delivering aid costs more lives — many of them children.
Follow us for more news at Valleynewz.com