The humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged Gaza Strip deepened further on Thursday, as health authorities confirmed that the number of Palestinians who have died of starvation since October 7, 2023, has risen to 370, including 131 children.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that three more Palestinians died of starvation and malnutrition within the past 24 hours, underscoring the devastating impact of Israel’s blockade and deliberate denial of food aid.

The Ministry’s statement noted that since the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a UN-backed initiative, declared famine in Gaza on August 22, at least 92 people — including 16 children — have succumbed to hunger and malnutrition.

The IPC’s latest report described the situation as catastrophic: “As of August 15, 2025, it has been confirmed with evidence that the famine in the city of Gaza is at level 5, known as the ‘catastrophic level.’ After 22 months of brutal conflict, more than half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions characterized by hunger, poverty, and death.”

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation army intensified its attacks across Gaza, killing 20 Palestinians since the early hours of Thursday morning, according to local health authorities.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights had earlier stressed that Gaza’s humanitarian crisis had reached unprecedented levels, with hunger suffocating entire communities and spreading southward to areas such as Deir al-Balah.

The ongoing famine is being deliberately exacerbated by the Zionist regime, which continues to impose severe restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, including food and medicine. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are left struggling to survive in conditions described by international experts as one of the worst humanitarian disasters of the 21st century. (lLKHA)