17,000 Children in Gaza Suffer From Severe Malnutrition

Palestinians queue for hot meals at a Gaza City food distribution point yesterday. After nearly two years of conflict, rights groups warn of looming famine for Gaza’s two million residents.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to worsen, with 17,000 children currently suffering from malnutrition, a director of Medical Relief in Gaza said on Thursday.

“We expect a large number of children to die from malnutrition unless serious intervention occurs,” he warned, urging immediate pressure on Israeli authorities to allow the entry of baby formula and essential medicines.

He added that many surgeries in Gaza have been postponed due to acute shortages of medical staff, supplies, and drugs.

Meanwhile, at least 72 Palestinians were reported killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza over the past 24 hours, according to hospital sources.

Gaza’s Government Media Office stated that at least 549 people have been killed and over 4,000 injured in the past four weeks while trying to access humanitarian aid. The incidents occurred near distribution points operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial relief initiative backed by the United States and Israel.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Thursday became the most prominent European leader to label the situation in Gaza a "genocide."

The same day, the United States announced its first direct funding to the GHF, pledging $30 million and encouraging other nations to follow suit. “We believe the GHF has done incredible work—46 million meals have been delivered so far,” said State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.

However, major humanitarian organisations and the United Nations have refused to collaborate with the GHF, arguing that coordinating aid delivery with military forces breaches core humanitarian principles.

Since March, Israel has blocked food and essential supplies from entering Gaza for more than two months, prompting global warnings of famine.

The GHF initiative is part of what US officials describe as President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s ongoing effort to advance peace in the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, commenting on regional developments, said there was now a chance to “enlarge peace accords” following a 12-day war against Iran. “A window of opportunity has opened—we must not miss it,” he said.