Starvation kills 86 Gazans, including 76 children, since October 2023: Health Ministry

At least 86 Palestinians, including 76 children, have died from hunger and malnutrition due to Israel's deliberate blockade preventing aid from entering the Gaza Strip since October 2023, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

"Famine has killed 86 people in Gaza, including 76 children, as a result of starvation and malnutrition," the ministry said in a statement.

It described the crisis as a "silent massacre" unfolding in the blockaded territory and held both Israel and the international community responsible for the worsening humanitarian conditions in the enclave.

The ministry noted that 18 people had starved to death in Gaza in the last 24 hours, calling for the immediate reopening of Gaza's border crossings to allow the entry of food and medicine.

Israel has sealed all crossings with Gaza since March 2, effectively cutting off access to humanitarian aid and accelerating the spread of famine.

Israel has killed nearly 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombing has destroyed the enclave, almost collapsed the health system, and created famine-like conditions.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.