The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported on Saturday that 11 new deaths were recorded within the past 24 hours due to famine and malnutrition, including a child, as the suffocating Israeli blockade on the Strip continues.

In a brief statement, the ministry explained that the total number of victims of famine and malnutrition has risen to 251, including 108 children—an alarming indicator of the worsening humanitarian crisis that Gaza’s residents have been enduring for months.

This surge in fatalities comes as Israel continues to close all crossings leading into the Strip since March 2, preventing the entry of humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, despite hundreds of relief trucks waiting at the border.

In this context, the World Food Programme warned that “one-third of Gaza’s population has not eaten for several days,” describing the humanitarian situation in the enclave as unprecedented in levels of hunger and despair, with no signs of a near-term breakthrough in the crisis.

International organizations affirm that the ongoing blockade and the prevention of aid entry constitute a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, putting millions of lives at risk, particularly children, patients, and the elderly.

Human rights and humanitarian groups continue to call on the international community to take urgent action to pressure for the opening of crossings and the unrestricted delivery of aid, warning that the continuation of the current situation could lead to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the region’s history.