Palestinian medical sources on Tuesday confirmed the deaths of Yousef al-Safadi in northern Gaza and Abdul Hamid al-Ghalban in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, citing severe malnutrition caused by Israel’s ongoing siege.
Gaza has endured nearly two years of a brutal Israeli war, marked by deliberate starvation tactics that rights groups say are aimed at maximizing Palestinian casualties.
“These children died in a place where food has been turned into a weapon,” said pro-Palestinian activists reacting to the deaths.
In May, the Israeli regime tightened its already devastating 18-year blockade, further restricting the entry of food and aid.
Hospitals in Gaza, already crippled by relentless bombardment, are now overwhelmed with starvation cases, say local physicians.
They report daily admissions of children, parents, and elderly patients, many in semi-conscious states or unable to speak.
Doctors describe horrifying symptoms of extreme starvation, with some patients collapsing mid-sentence or unable to remember their own names.
UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, says over 17,000 children in Gaza are suffering from acute malnutrition.
From March to June, the number of malnourished children under five doubled, the agency reported.
Of 74,000 children screened, 5,500 were diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition, and over 800 were found to be in critical wasting—where the body begins to consume its own tissues for survival.
The Israeli brutal war, launched in response to a legitimate resistance action against decades of occupation and oppression, has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.