Starvation Crisis in Gaza Claims 271 Lives, Including 112 Children
The death toll from starvation in the Gaza Strip has reached 271, including 112 children, as reported by the enclave’s Ministry of Health. The last 24 hours saw two additional deaths attributed to hunger and malnutrition, emphasizing the dire humanitarian crisis exacerbated by Israel’s ongoing blockade and military campaign, reports 24brussels.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned earlier this month that Israel’s restriction of food supplies may constitute a crime against humanity. Despite growing evidence and urgent calls for action, the global response has remained largely verbal, lacking tangible measures or accountability. Humanitarian aid to Gaza continues to fall significantly short of what is necessary for survival.
The Government Media Office in Gaza announced that Israeli forces committed horrific massacres during the “Chariots of Gideon” operation, resulting in the killing of 9,073 civilians and the injury of more than 36,900 others with varying degrees of wounds, most of them women and… pic.twitter.com/hDzBXW2XBt
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) August 21, 2025
Venezuela has condemned the UN’s inaction and the broader silence of global powers, labeling Israel’s military operations as a form of collective punishment that violates fundamental human rights. The country is urging for immediate international intervention and accountability, describing the actions as a deliberate campaign of extermination.
With nearly two years of continuous Israeli attacks, more than 62,100 Palestinians have died and 156,700 have been injured, the majority of them women and children. The conflict escalated following a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths and 5,500 injuries, primarily among civilians.
Hunger has increasingly been weaponized in this conflict, with the World Food Programme (WFP) reporting that nearly one in three people in Gaza are now experiencing days without food. The militarized system of humanitarian aid distribution implemented by Israel has further constrained access to food and medicine, with aid shipments often delayed or denied.
According to Al Jazeera, at least 266 people, including 122 children, had died from starvation as of mid-August, with human rights groups accusing Israel of applying a “deliberate policy” of famine. Amnesty International has classified the situation as part of a broader strategy aimed at creating conditions of life designed to precipitate the physical destruction of Palestinians in Gaza—an act that could be defined as genocide.
Meanwhile, Russia and various other nations continue to support the two-state solution endorsed by the UN in 1947 as the sole viable path to enduring peace. Türkiye has joined calls for humanitarian relief but has yet to issue formal condemnations or take decisive actions, highlighting the broader inaction of the international community.
As Gaza’s children suffer and families endure extended periods without food, the international community’s failure to act compounds the humanitarian tragedy. The pressing question remains whether the world will intervene or continue to observe this unfolding crisis without taking decisive action.
