Gaza,(Palestine Foundation Information Center) A young Palestinian girl was starved to death in the Gaza Strip in light of the growing famine and malnutrition imposed by Israel’s ongoing war on the enclave since 7 October 2023, a Palestinian medical source in the Gaza Strip announced on Tuesday evening.
A medical official at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital confirmed that Mecca Al-Gharabli died from hunger and severe malnutrition, raising the death toll from Israel’s starvation policy to 148 cases, including 89 children.
On Monday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that Gaza hospitals had recorded 14 new deaths within 24 hours due to famine and malnutrition, including two children exhausted by hunger.
Health Ministry data shows that more than 260,000 children under the age of five in Gaza are suffering from acute malnutrition, placing their lives at imminent risk.
In recent days, international condemnation of Israel’s starvation policy has intensified, as over two million Palestinians in the besieged enclave face famine that has killed dozens in just a matter of days.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Sunday that malnutrition in Gaza has reached “alarming levels”, saying, “Gaza is experiencing severe malnutrition characterized by a sharp increase in deaths this July.”
The WHO noted that out of 74 malnutrition-related deaths recorded in 2025, 63 occurred this month alone, including 24 children under five and 38 adults.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged the immediate entry of food and medicine into Gaza to stop famine-related deaths caused by Israel’s blockade.
In a post on X Tuesday, he wrote, “Famine, malnutrition, and disease in Gaza are driving a surge in hunger-related deaths.”
He emphasized the urgent need for large-scale food and medical aid to prevent further deterioration, referencing a newly released IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) report warning that Gaza is facing “the worst-case famine scenario.”
Tedros reiterated his call for a ceasefire, saying, “Famine, malnutrition, and disease are leading to a deadly rise in hunger-related deaths. Peace is the best medicine!”
Since 7 October 2023, Israel’s US-backed genocide has killed or injured over 205,000 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children, while more than 9,000 remain missing. Hundreds of thousands are displaced, and famine continues to claim lives, including dozens of children.
