Israel kills over 60 in 24 hours as hospitals grapple with soaring malnutrition cases

Israeli forces killed at least 63 Palestinians across Gaza in the last 24 hours, with the toll including children and those desperately seeking emergency aid. The pounding of the Strip comes amid continued Israeli restrictions on aid, which have left hospitals grappling to deal with malnutrition cases.

Among those killed in the attacks was PalestineTV’s Khaled al-Madhoun, according to the official Wafa news agency.

Al-Madhoun was a cameraman and was killed on Saturday evening after he was directly targeted while working in the Zikim area, located in the north of the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate issued a statement mourning him and condemning Israel’s campaign against journalists, adding that it is aimed at silencing the Palestinian narrative.

Gaza’s government media office also published a statement reiterating its condemnation of Israel’s repeated threats to raze and occupy Gaza City, which is home to 1.3 million Palestinians. As part of the plan, Israel would forcibly displace the residents to concentration zones in the south, which is already overcrowded with displaced people.

The office called it a "dangerous escalation and a direct threat to the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians," adding it "constitutes a war crime".

Israeli chief of staff, Eyal Zamir told officials that the full invasion of Gaza City would start after the operational and legal preparations were completed.

Israeli forces have continued to bomb homes in Jabalia and in the Zarqa area, located in the north of the Strip.

Meanwhile, after famine was declared in Gaza, countries and institutions around the world have lambasted Israel for restricting urgent food aid.

Medical Aid for Palestinians raised concerns over vulnerable civilians who are still unable to get food.

"It’s also elderly people who are unable to get access to any kind of food. It’s also healthcare staff, aid workers who are fainting on the job because they don’t have enough food or sustenance to keep them going," the organisation said.

The Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis also reported that they are becoming increasingly unable to deal with the surge in malnutrition cases.

The head of the children’s department said they would need "ten hospitals the size of the Nasser Complex" to handle the rise in cases of children suffering from malnutrition.

"The malnutrition clinic in Nasser, which can only operate two days a week, receives more than 120 cases in a few hours, ten times the previous rates," the medic added.

Some of the patients have been forced to lay on the floor due to a lack of hospital beds.

Countries around the world joined in the criticism of Israel over forcibly starving Gaza’s population.

In Australia’s Brisbane, thousands of people marched in the city centre across the Victoria Bridge, demanding an end to the war and the famine.

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 62,622 Palestinians since October 2023 and wounded over 157,673 others in the same time frame. The war has plunged the Strip into a humanitarian crisis and has been determined to be a genocide.