TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - More than 100,000 children in Gaza are at risk of starving to death, including 40,000 babies under the age of one, due to severe shortages of baby formula and nutritional supplements, the Government Media Office in Gaza reported on Saturday.
In their statement as reported by Antara and Middle East Eye, the office described the situation in Gaza as a "slow massacre." They accused Israel of deliberately starving the children of Gaza through the continued blockade and closure of all border crossings.
According to the office, mothers are forced to give their babies plain water for days as there is no baby formula. Meanwhile, hospitals and health centers are witnessing an increase in cases of acute and life-threatening malnutrition every day.
Health Authorities in Gaza report that at least 127 Palestinians, including over 85 children, have died of starvation since the Israeli blockade continued in March.
More than 1,121 Palestinians have died while seeking assistance at distribution locations operated by GHF, staffed by Israeli soldiers and American mercenaries.
The latest statistics show that 11.5 percent of children suffer from severe acute malnutrition, a figure considered catastrophic by global health standards.
Aid groups warn that these figures likely underestimate the actual number of victims, given the collapse of the healthcare system and monitoring in most of Gaza.
The Government Media Office in Gaza called the crisis a "startling warning issued in the name of humanity and global awareness."
The office demanded the immediate delivery of baby formula and nutritional supplements, the unconditional reopening of all crossings, the lifting of Israel's "criminal siege," and urgent international intervention to stop the "deliberate campaign of destruction against children."
The Gaza government office also called for Israel and its international allies to be held accountable for their real crimes against humanity, warning that this global silence constitutes "active involvement in the genocide of Gaza's children."
The entire population of the Gaza Strip-more than 2.3 million people-has been pushed to the brink of survival due to over 21 months of war, blockade, and intentional starvation policies by Israel.
Starvation has deteriorated dramatically in Gaza. Images and videos circulating show Palestinians with emaciated bodies due to extreme hunger, in addition to experiencing nausea, exhaustion, and loss of consciousness.
On Tuesday, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that a third of Gaza's population has gone several days without food due to Israel's ongoing blockade.
Reports from inside Gaza describe an increasingly dire reality: people are surviving on animal feed, grass, or nothing at all.
Displaced families are now relying on potato skins, foraged weeds, or flour made from dried corn husks, as access to basic foodstuffs has been nearly cut off.
In hospitals and shelters, doctors report an increase in deaths due to malnutrition, especially among children, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses.
Despite international calls for a ceasefire, Israeli forces have launched brutal attacks in Gaza since October 7, 2023, killing over 59,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
The death toll from starvation has increased in the past few days due to the months-long blockade and the poor distribution of aid by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Last November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 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 (ICJ) for the war it waged in the enclave.
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