Gaza death toll from hunger rises to 428 as Israel keeps crossings shut

The death toll from hunger in Gaza has climbed to 428, including 146 children, as Israel’s closure of all border crossings pushes the enclave deeper into famine, the Health Ministry said Tuesday.

In its daily update, the ministry confirmed three new fatalities over the past 24 hours, one of them a child, caused by severe malnutrition.

The ministry noted that at least 150 Palestinians, among them 31 children, have died of hunger since August, when the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declared famine in Gaza City.

The IPC also warned that the crisis would spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis in central and southern Gaza by the end of September.

Israel has sealed Gaza’s crossings since March 2, preventing food and aid trucks from entering despite hundreds waiting at the border. The move has exacerbated the humanitarian c in the enclave, leaving residents without access to basic supplies.

The Israeli army has killed nearly 65,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable, and led to starvation and spread of c.