Thousands of Palestinian children in Gaza have been diagnosed with malnutrition, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, as Israel continues to severely restrict the supply of food, water, medicine and fuel to the territory.
“A significant proportion of Gaza's population now faces catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions,” WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters on Wednesday.
“Despite reports of an increase in food delivery, there is currently no evidence that those who need it most are receiving sufficient quantity and quality of food.”
Tedros said 8,000 children under the age of five have been diagnosed and treated for acute malnutrition in Gaza.
“However, due to insecurity and lack of access, only two stabilization centers for severely malnourished patients can operate,” the WHO chief added.
Tedros said 32 deaths in the besieged Palestinian enclave have been attributed to malnutrition.
United Nations officials have warned of the risk of famine as Israel continues its war in Gaza. In January, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to “ensure the provision of basic services and essential humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.”
The U.N.'s top court reaffirmed that ruling in March, demanding that Israel take “all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay… the unhindered and large-scale provision by all stakeholders of basic services.” and humanitarian assistance that are urgently needed.”
Some of Israel's closest allies, including the United States, have also called for more help to enter Gaza and reach people in need.
Last month, Israel seized and closed the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, which had served as a major gateway for humanitarian and aid workers.
Last month, International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accused of alleged war crimes, including the use of “Starving civilians to death as a method of war.”
An independent UN-backed commission also accused Israel of inflicting starvation on the Palestinians.
“In relation to Israeli military operations and attacks in Gaza, the Commission concluded that the Israeli authorities are responsible for the war crimes of starvation as a method of war, murder or intentional homicide, attacks intentionally directed against civilians and civilian objects , forced transfers, sexual acts, violence, torture and inhuman or cruel treatment, arbitrary detentions and attacks on personal dignity,” the panel said in a report on Wednesday.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier this week that Israel has taken “significant steps” in recent months to remove obstacles to aid delivery in Gaza, but acknowledged that it “can and must do more.”
“It is crucial to speed up truck inspection and reduce delays; provide greater clarity on prohibited products and shorten the list of them; increase visas for humanitarian workers and process them more quickly,” he said at a Gaza aid conference in Jordan on Tuesday.
Blinken, who announced $404 million in new assistance to the Palestinians, also called for “clearer and more effective channels” to protect aid workers from military operations.
Israeli strikes have killed at least 270 aid workers in Gaza, including seven World Central Kitchen employees in April, an incident that sparked global outrage.
Aid organizations have been emphasizing that even inadequate aid reaching Gaza often does not reach the people who need it most due to the Israeli offensive.
“The latest US humanitarian package for Gaza is a welcome step,” the International Rescue Committee said on Wednesday. “However, the effective delivery of any financial package depends entirely on unrestricted access to aid and the ability of humanitarian workers to operate smoothly.”
Beyond Gaza, WHO's Tedros highlighted a growing health crisis in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces have killed hundreds of people since the outbreak of war.
“WHO has documented 480 attacks on healthcare in the West Bank since October 7 last year, resulting in 16 deaths and 95 injuries,” he said.
In a major incident, covert Israeli forces attacked a hospital in Jenin and killed three people inside the medical center.
