Children starving to death as Gaza aid workers expelled
Malnourished children and critically ill patients are among the tens of thousands of people forced to walk south for many hours as Israel invades Gaza City. The aid group Islamic Relief said some Palestinians are so sick “they have to be transported in wheelbarrows as they can barely even stand up”.
“Islamic Relief’s aid workers in Gaza City are among those displaced, further disrupting aid delivery at a time when children are starving to death,” it said in a statement. “Ordering people to leave does not absolve Israel of its obligations under international law to refrain from harming civilians who cannot, or choose not to, leave.”
Israel has now ordered Palestinians to leave 82 percent of Gaza, Islamic Relief said.
Injured Palestinians, including children, are brought to al-Awda Hospital for treatment after Israeli strikes on the Nuseirat refugee camp
‘This is beyond tolerable’
Al Jazeera spoke to Nezar, a displaced Palestinian from northern Gaza, who has been moving between besieged Gaza City and Khan Younis in the south for a week.
“At five o’clock, I go to Khan Younis … I sleep there and I go back on foot. The journey takes at least 12 to 13 hours … We are forced to leave our home simply because of the intensity of air attacks,” he said.
“It is nothing but tragic. It is a catastrophe. Wherever you turn, bombardment, shelling, detonation. You either receive a bullet, a rocket or a bomb. That’s why people are forced to leave. People are growing weary. This is beyond tolerable,” added Nezar.
“There is no transportation. People are moving on foot, carrying whatever they can get. I’m carrying a gas cylinder, some clothes for the children, a mattress, a blanket, just trying to collect the basics.”
Forcibly displaced Palestinians flee northern Gaza from Israeli attacks
Armed assailants steal vital UNICEF aid in devastated Gaza City
The UN children’s agency says trucks carrying food for starving children were commandeered by gunmen in Gaza City, depriving 2,700 children of life-saving nutrition.
“Yesterday, armed individuals approached four trucks outside our compound in Gaza City that were getting ready to transport desperately needed Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food [RUTF] for malnourished children enduring famine,” UNICEF said in a statement.
“This theft has denied at least 2,700 severely and acutely malnourished children of life-saving vital supplies at a time when famine has been declared in the north of Gaza, and the ongoing military operation is creating further displacement and adding to the devastating impact on children.”
The UN agency urged all parties in Gaza to “respect and protect humanitarian aid”.
“Children are bearing the heaviest burden. Ultimately, a sustainable ceasefire is essential to create an environment where such incidents no longer occur, and aid can reach those who need it most – safely, quickly, and effectively.”
Four Palestinians including child die from malnutrition in the past 24 hours
At least 33 Palestinians have been killed and 146 injured in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry says.
It also recorded four deaths caused by malnutrition in the last day, including one child, which brings the total number of deaths from hunger since Israel’s war on Gaza began to 440, including 147 children.
Since the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declared famine in Gaza, 162 deaths have been recorded, including 32 children.
