Gaza’s Health Ministry confirmed Sunday that 289 Palestinians, including 115 children, have now died of starvation since Israel’s total siege began in October 2023, with eight deaths in the past 24 hours alone. Director Munir al-Bursh warned that authorities are in a "race against time" to address famine conditions officially declared by the UN on August 22, the first such designation in Middle Eastern history. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed that 514,000 people (24% of Gaza’s population) currently face catastrophic hunger, with projections rising to 641,000 by September as famine spreads to Deir el-Balah and Khan Younis.
The IPC’s famine classification requires three thresholds:
20% of households experiencing extreme food deprivation
30% of children under five acutely malnourished
Two daily deaths per 10,000 people from starvation.
Gaza City has exceeded all thresholds, with malnutrition rates tripling since May 2025 and 132,000 children expected to suffer acute malnutrition by mid-2026. UN Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher blamed Israel’s "systematic obstruction of aid" for the crisis, noting that food and medicine stack up at borders while Palestinians starve 10. Despite Israeli claims of permitting "100,000 aid trucks," UN agencies report that less than 20% of required aid enters daily due to military restrictions and bureaucratic delays.
Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis faces a 1,200% increase in malnourished children, with 120 cases overwhelming a clinic designed for 12 weekly visits. Dr. Ahmed al-Farra reported children dying outside hospital gates due to lack of milk and treatments, while 25 critically ill infants lie on floors without beds. The WHO confirmed multi-drug-resistant infections are surging amid destroyed sanitation infrastructure, with diarrhea and respiratory illnesses killing malnourished children at 20 times pre-war rates. Israel’s targeting of healthcare infrastructure has left 92% of hospitals non-functional, with only 10% of ambulances operational.
Israeli forces have killed 2,095 Palestinians seeking aid since May 27, when the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began operations. Over 1,000 deaths occurred near GHF distribution points, where crowds are routinely shot or shelled while awaiting food. Despite this, the U.S. approved $30 million in GHF funding this month, legitimizing what UN officials call a "violation of humanitarian principles". The GHF’s reliance on Israeli military escorts and coordination has blurred lines between aid delivery and military operations, with aid seekers describing zones as "death traps".
The International Criminal Court’s November 2024 arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant cited "starvation as a method of warfare" and intentional attacks on civilians. The ICC noted Israel’s obstruction of aid and targeting of bakeries, fishing boats, and farmland as evidence of genocidal intent. Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice’s genocide case has compelled 35 countries to impose arms embargoes on Israel. Netanyahu dismissed the rulings as "antisemitic," but European weapons transfers have slowed significantly since the warrants were issued.
CNN internal memos reveal a corporate policy of downplaying Palestinian suffering while amplifying Israeli narratives. Journalists were instructed to label Gaza’s Health Ministry "Hamas-controlled" despite WHO verification of its data and to avoid quoting Palestinian sources without Israeli counterpoints. This bias aligns with the Trump administration’s rhetoric, such as Ambassador Mike Huckabee’s claim that Hamas "ate aid to become corpulent" which obscures Israel’s responsibility for famine.