Doha: Hospitals in the Gaza Strip have recorded five new deaths in the past 24 hours, including two children, as a result of starvation and severe malnutrition. This brings the total number of victims of famine and malnutrition to 217, including 100 children.

According to Qatar News Agency, the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip continues to worsen amid the ongoing blockade and acute shortages of food and medical supplies. Severe famine overlaps with what has been described as a genocidal war waged by Israel since October 7, 2023.

Since March 2, 2025, the Israeli occupation authorities have closed all crossings into Gaza, preventing the entry of most food and medical aid, which has triggered a widespread famine throughout the Strip. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) had earlier warned that malnutrition among children under the age of five had doubled between March and June, due to the continuation of the blockade.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also confirmed that malnutrition rates in Gaza have reached alarming levels, with the deliberate blockade and delayed aid deliveries contributing to the loss of many lives. Nearly 1 in 5 children under five in Gaza City is now suffering from severe acute malnutrition, the organization reported.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel, the occupying power, has been committing acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, while ignoring international calls and requests from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to cease its actions. The genocide has resulted in 61,369 deaths and 152,850 injuries, the majority of whom are women and children, along with more than 11,000 missing persons, hundreds of thousands of displaced people, and a famine that continues to claim countless lives.