Key Points
- 370 people have died from malnutrition in Gaza since 2023
- Gaza death toll reaches 64,300
- Israel bombs high-rise towers in Gaza
- Egypt condemns Netanyahu’s remarks on displacement
Geneva, Switzerland: The Chief of World Health Organization chief on Friday urged Israel to stop the “catastrophe” of people starving to death in Gaza, adding that at least 370 people have died from malnutrition since the war started in the Palestinian territory in October 2023.
“This is a catastrophe that Israel could have prevented, and could stop at any time,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.
“Starvation of civilians as a method of war is a war crime that can never be tolerated: doing so in one conflict risks legitimising its use in future conflicts,” he said.
His remarks come two weeks after the United Nations formally declared a famine in Gaza, attributing it to what it described as Israel’s “systematic obstruction” of humanitarian aid deliveries.
Israel has strongly rejected the accusation, maintaining that the crisis stems from a “man-made shortage engineered by Hamas,” not Israeli actions.
On Friday, the Gaza health ministry reported that 373 people, including 134 children, have died from starvation and malnutrition since the war began in October 2023.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus echoed the figures, noting that “more than 300 of these deaths occurred in just the past two months.”
“People are starving to death while the food that could save them sits on trucks a short distance away,” he lamented.
“The most intolerable part of this man-made disaster is that it could be stopped right now,” he said, questioning why Israel was allowing the situation to persist.
“The starvation of the people of Gaza will not make Israel safer, nor will it facilitate the release of the hostages,” he insisted.
The WHO chief also stressed that “where hunger goes, disease follows”.
“Lack of food and clean water and cramped living conditions are leaving people with weakened immune systems exposed to more disease,” he said.
“More than 700 people have died while waiting for medical evacuation, including almost 140 children,” he said. “We call on the government of Israel to end this inhumane war,” Tedros said.
“If it will not, I call on its allies to use their influence to stop it.”
Death toll in Gaza rises to 64,300
At least 64,300 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign in Gaza since October 2023, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. The toll includes three more deaths from starvation in the past 24 hours, attributed to Israeli-imposed restrictions on humanitarian aid.
In a statement, the ministry reported that 69 bodies were recovered and 422 people were injured in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of wounded since the start of the war to 162,005.
The ministry warned that many victims remain trapped under rubble or stranded on roads, as rescue efforts continue to be hampered by ongoing hostilities and restricted access.
It also reported that six Palestinians were killed and more than 190 wounded in the past day after Israeli forces opened fire on civilians attempting to access humanitarian aid. Since May 27, at least 2,362 Palestinians have been killed and 17,434 injured while trying to obtain aid.
The Health Ministry confirmed that three more people died of starvation in the last 24 hours, highlighting the growing humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged enclave.
Israel bombs high-rise towers in Gaza
Meanwhile, Israel’s forces have destroyed a high-rise tower in a densely populated part of Gaza City and have warned of further attacks on multi-storey buildings as it intensifies its campaign to seize control of the capital.
On Friday, the Israeli military ordered people in Mushtaha Tower, a 12-storey building located on the western side of Gaza City and surrounded by hundreds of makeshift tents, to evacuate, and later struck the building, claiming it was “Hamas infrastructure” and was used to plan and carry out operations against Israeli forces.
Egypt rejects any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians
Egypt has condemned the remarks of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the displacement of Palestinians, including through the Rafah crossing.
In an interview with the Israeli Telegram channel Abu Ali Express, Netanyahu claimed there were “different plans for how to rebuild Gaza” and alleged that “half of the population wants to leave Gaza”, describing it as “not a mass expulsion”.
He added, “I can open Rafah for them, but it will be closed immediately by Egypt.”
In an official Foreign Ministry statement, Egypt described the comments as part of “ongoing attempts to prolong escalation in the region and perpetuate instability while avoiding accountability for Israeli violations in Gaza.”
