By Anadolu staff
ANKARA (AA) – Palestinian babies are slowly dying in the Gaza Strip amid an Israeli offensive on the enclave, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.
“Around 17,000 children in Gaza are orphaned,” UNRWA said in a statement.
The UN agency said 1 in 6 children under two years is acutely malnourished in the northern Gaza Strip.
“Babies slowly perishing under the world’s gaze,” it said.
“Children dying from bombs, even more now dying from consequences of siege. These horrific deaths are entirely preventable.”
At least 16 children have died from dehydration and starvation in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Israel has launched a deadly military offensive on the Palestinian enclave since an Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack, which Tel Aviv said killed less than 1,200 people.
More than 30,600 Palestinians have since been killed and over 72,000 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.
Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.
The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio