Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Thursday that the death toll in the Palestinian territory in the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas has surpassed 30,000.
Humanitarian organisations have warned of a looming risk of famine and dire humanitarian conditions in the region.
Gaza medical official Ashraf Al-Qudra said two children died of malnutrition and dehydration at Al-Shifa hospital. He said that “the number of children who died due to hunger has risen to six. Five of them died in the north of the besieged enclave in recent days.”
USAID chief Samantha Power said Israel needs to open more crossings to “dramatically increase vital humanitarian aid.” This could prevent more deaths from starvation, she said.
Representatives from Qatar, the US and Egypt have called on Israel and Hamas to pause in the deadly war, which began after Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October last year, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking some 250 hostages.
In response to Hamas’ actions, Israel launched a lightning-fast military operation, launching regular air and artillery strikes on the Gaza Strip, imposing a full siege on the Palestinian region. Israeli shelling has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Homes in the Gaza Strip have been reduced to rubble, forcing more than 85% of the enclave’s population to flee their homes in search of shelter and food.
The negotiating team expects that a truce could begin by the start of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month that begins on 10 or 11 March, depending on the lunar calendar.
Under a temporary truce, there would be a temporary cessation of hostilities, the Israeli army would withdraw from several Palestinian towns, allowing humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians. In return, Hamas would have to release the Israeli hostages.
