6 more Gazans, including 2 children, die from starvation amid Israeli siege

Six more Palestinians, including two children, died of starvation in the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours amid an Israeli siege on the enclave, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

"Hospitals recorded six new deaths in the past 24 hours due to famine and malnutrition, including two children who were exhausted by hunger," the ministry said in a statement.

The new fatalities brought the death toll from starvation in Gaza since October 2023 to 133, including 87 children.

"These numbers reflect the catastrophic impact of the ongoing Israeli blockade and the prevention of food and aid deliveries into Gaza," the ministry said.

Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for 18 years, and since March 2 has shut down all crossings, blocking the entry of aid convoys and ignoring international calls to reopen them.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 59,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages.

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.