Israel’s starvation of Gaza kills 100 children as protests over occupation grow
At least 100 children have now died due to being starved by Israel's blockade and restrictions on aid entering the enclave, while the war rages on.
Israel’s restriction of aid into Gaza and the widespread malnutrition it has caused in the enclave resulted in five new deaths in the last 24 hours, the Palestinian health ministry said.
Two of the five deaths were of children, coming amid worsening conditions in the enclave.
The total number of people who have starved to death or died due to malnutrition related reasons has now reached 217, with 100 of them being children.
Meanwhile, the recent aid drops over the last week have been heavily criticised, as Palestinian experts note they equate to less than one percent of the needs on the ground during a normal day for basic survival.
The air drops of aid have also caused injuries and death, as there is no way to control where they land.
A 15-year-old Palestinian boy, identified as Muhannad Zakaria Eid, was crushed to death when an aid pallet fell on him during an aid drop in Gaza.
On Sunday morning, Israeli forces killed at least eight Palestinians across the enclave, with four people killed in a drone attack in central Khan Younis and at least three others killed while seeking emergency aid near the Netzarim Corridor.
A day earlier, at least 47 people were killed by Israeli forces across the enclave.
The latest developments come as protests grow, in Israel and around the world, against Tel Aviv’s plans to occupy all of Gaza, starting with Gaza city.
In Chile on Saturday, hundreds of people marched with Palestinian flags, and shed light on the forced starvation in the enclave.
In Turkey, thousands of people gathered in Istanbul, hoping to pressure the international community to take a more stern stance with Israel and to demand a stop to the aggression.
Hundreds also took part in a demonstration in Norway’s Oslo, where they called for divestment from Israel.
Around 60,000 Israelis took part in a protest, organised by the families of captives held in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, where they demanded an immediate end to the war.
The UN Security Council (UNSC) is also set to hold an emergency meeting over Israel’s plan to occupy Gaza, after it was approved by the Israeli Security Cabinet on Friday.
The meeting has been requested by the UK, Denmark, France, Greece, and Slovenia.
According to The New Arab’s Arabic language sister publication, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Palestine’s permanent representative to the Arab League, Muhannad al-Aklouk, announced that the organisation will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday in Cairo.
In a press statement, al-Aklouk said: “The council of the Arab League at the level of permanent delegates will hold an extraordinary session on Sunday…the meeting is being held at the request of the State of Palestine and with the support of member states”.
The meeting is set to centre around action that can be taken against Israel’s plan to occupy Gaza.
The meeting will also discuss ways to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 61,700 Palestinians since October 2023 and levelled large swaths of the enclave. The war has been determined to be a genocide by leading rights groups, including Amnesty International.
