One-third of Gaza population has not eaten for several days amid Israeli siege: WFP

One-third of Gaza's population has not eaten for several days due to the ongoing Israeli blockade on the Palestinian enclave, the World Food Program (WFP) said.

"The hunger crisis in Gaza has reached new and astonishing levels of desperation, with a third of the population not eating for multiple days in a row," Ross Smith, WFP director of emergency preparedness and response, said in a statement.

According to WFP estimates, a quarter of the population in Gaza is facing famine-like conditions, as 100,000 women and children are suffering from acute malnutrition.

Since March 2, Israel has sealed all crossings into Gaza, halting the entry of food, medicine, and humanitarian aid.

Gaza's Health Ministry said Israel's deliberate starvation policy has led to the deaths of 86 Palestinians, including 76 children, since October 2023 due to hunger and malnutrition.