Palestinian child dies of starvation in Gaza amid Rafah border closure
A 13-year-old Palestinian child has died of starvation at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, located in the central Gaza Strip, as the Rafah border crossing remains closed.
Medical sources report that the death toll from malnutrition and dehydration in the Gaza Strip has now reached 37.
Local sources indicate that the health crisis in Gaza has deteriorated significantly, exacerbated by ongoing military operations in Rafah, which have rendered all hospitals in the city out of service. The closure of the Rafah crossing has persisted for 26 days, prompting urgent warnings about the worsening humanitarian situation due to the lack of essential supplies reaching citizens, particularly in the northern Gaza Strip.
The northern region of Gaza is experiencing severe shortages of food, water, medication, and fuel. Even the aid that reaches the southern part of the enclave is insufficient, especially with over 1.3 million people displaced from northern Gaza to the south, notably to Rafah.
Israeli occupation forces continue to block the entry of humanitarian aid into northern Gaza and have been accused of intentionally targeting civilians awaiting aid supplies. This has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians and injuries to many others, further aggravating the humanitarian crisis in the region. (ILKHA)