65,000 children facing death from Israeli starvation policy: Gaza authorities

The Gaza government warned Friday that more than 65,000 children are at immediate risk from famine because of Israel's siege and two-month blockade of essential supplies to the Gaza Strip as part of its genocidal campaign on the Palestinian enclave.

"The Israeli occupation is engineering a famine that kills civilians and continues a systematic crime against 2.4 million people through closing crossings and blocking 39,000 aid trucks carrying food, fuel and medicine, in a flagrant violation of international law," the Gaza Media Office said in a statement.

It said all bakeries have been non-operational for 40 days, depriving civilians of bread.

"Over 65,000 children now face starvation deaths from malnutrition as Israel weaponizes hunger against civilians," it added.

The statement noted that 70 days of Israel's total closure of crossings have aggravated the collapse of humanitarian and health systems in Gaza.

It urged the international community and the UN to urgently intervene to stop the blockade, reopen crossings and allow the flow of aid and essentials into Gaza.

The statement comes as UN officials on Friday sharply criticized Israel's recently proposed humanitarian aid plan for Gaza, warning it could exacerbate civilian suffering and fail to meet basic humanitarian standards.

Israel has kept Gaza's crossings closed to food, medical and humanitarian aid since March 2, deepening an already humanitarian crisis in the enclave, according to government, human rights, and international reports.

Nearly 52,800 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.