Gaza child starves to death, as waterborne diseases increase by nearly 150 percent

Israel’s siege of Gaza and obstruction of essential humanitarian aid resulted in the death of a child from malnutrition on Friday, bringing the total toll of Palestinians starved to death since the start of the war in 2023 to 115.

Gaza’s health ministry identified the child as Abdul Qader al-Fayoumi, with sources in the al-Ahli al-Arab Hospital confirming the information.

Malnutrition has also soared among Gaza’s elderly in recent days and weeks, with vulnerable people having little to no access to aid.

The US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has continued to be on the receiving end of scathing criticism, with contractors working at distribution sites opening fire at desperate Palestinians seeking aid.

Over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed at aid sites since GHF started operations in May, replacing the role of UNRWA, which Israel has banned, and other agencies who have long worked in the enclave.

Waterborne diseases, too, are increasing, with UK-based charity Oxfam stating that Israel’s blockade on aid has worsened the healthcare situation and caused water-related diseases to rise by almost 150 percent.

The charity called Gaza a "petri dish of disease," noting that they could easily be prevented and treated, but Israel must first let in millions of dollars’ worth of aid sitting at the borders of the enclave.

The organisation said that cases of bloody diarrhoea are up 302 percent and acute jaundice cases are up 101 percent, raising concerns that this could quickly result in more deaths if treatment is unavailable.

Several world leaders have condemned Israel for withholding aid from Gaza while simultaneously bombarding the enclave. 

A far-right Israeli minister, Amichai Eliyahu, on Thursday boasted that Israel was "driving out" Gazans amid the starvation and increase in disease. 

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was the latest leader to weigh in on the Israeli-imposed famine, saying that Israel’s denial of food and killing of civilians "cannot be defended or ignored".

US pulls mediators from Qatar

The latest developments come as Hamas on Thursday evening expressed surprise at US envoy Steve Witkoff’s announcement that American negotiators had been pulled from Qatar and that Hamas was to blame for the breakdown in talks achieving a ceasefire.

The statement from the Palestinian group read: "The movement submitted its final response after extensive consultations with Palestinian factions, mediators, and friendly countries…it reflected a sincere commitment to the success of mediators' efforts and showed a constructive response to all initiatives presented".

It went on to say: "We are surprised by the negative statements made by US envoy Steve Witkoff regarding the movement’s position, at a time when mediators expressed their satisfaction with our positive position, which was opening the door to reach a comprehensive agreement".

Hamas reiterated, again, that it is still keen to complete negotiations and engage with mediators to overcome any obstacles, to pave the way for a full and comprehensive ceasefire.

Despite the on-and-off again ceasefire talks, Israel has continued with its deadly strikes on the Gaza Strip, killing dozens of people every day. On Thursday alone, at least 62 Palestinians were killed, with 19 of them attempting to collect aid.

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed at least 59,587 Palestinians since October 2023, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry. The true death toll is believed to be much higher, with thousands of uncounted victims trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings.