The Palestinian health minister said on Thursday that 29 children and elderly people had died from starvation-related deaths in Gaza in recent days and that many thousands more were at risk.
Food aid is expected to start reaching Gazans on Thursday after Israel let the first trucks through following an 11-week blockade, but Palestinian and aid officials say it is just a fraction of what is needed.
"In the last couple of days we lost 29 children," Palestinian Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan told reporters, describing them as "starvation-related deaths". He later clarified that the total included elderly people as well as children.
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli strikes had killed at least 52 people since dawn Thursday across the territory, where Israel has ramped up its military offensive in recent days.
Agency official Mohammed Al-Mughayyir told AFP there had been "52 martyrs and dozens injured as a result of air strikes carried out by the occupation in various areas of the Gaza Strip since dawn today".