At least 11 Palestinians, including one child, died of starvation and malnutrition in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, Gaza’s health ministry announced Saturday.

The ministry confirmed that the new deaths raise the total number of Palestinians who have perished from hunger in the besieged enclave to 251 people, among them 108 children.

Since March 2, Israeli occupation forces have sealed all border crossings into Gaza, blocking the entry of food, medicine, and other essential humanitarian aid. While small quantities of assistance have recently trickled in, health officials stressed that the supplies are far below the minimum required to sustain the population.

Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that the blockade is driving Gaza’s civilian population toward famine. Hospitals and aid agencies say they are overwhelmed by cases of malnutrition, particularly among children and the elderly.

The continuing closure of crossings has fueled international concern, with rights groups accusing Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war in violation of international humanitarian law.

For families in Gaza, the humanitarian catastrophe deepens daily, as the ongoing siege deprives more than two million people of their most basic right to food. (ILKHA)