SAEDNEWS: Another Palestinian infant died Friday at the Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip, after her frail body succumbed to hunger, a medical source told.
She was left to face famine without milk under Israel’s suffocating blockade.
The source said Zeinab Abu Halib, just a few months old, died from malnutrition resulting from Israel’s starvation policy, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
Zeinab appeared in a disturbing photo taken shortly before her death, with her skin clinging to her bones, her tiny ribcage painfully protruding.
Behind her was an earlier image showing her smiling in bright clothing that was captioned, “Zeinab the Queen,” a heartbreaking contrast that captures the tragic transformation from joyful infancy to emaciation and death.
Such deaths are recurring in Gaza, particularly for infants, due to the Israeli siege and the prevention of humanitarian, food, and medical aid, leading to widespread hunger and severe shortages.
Gaza’s Director-General of the Ministry of Health, Munir al-Bursh, told Anadolu on Friday that nine Palestinians, including two children, died within 24 hours due to hunger and malnutrition. It brings the number of malnutrition deaths since the start of the genocidal war on Oct. 7, 2023, to 122, including 83 children.
The Ministry of Health reported 26,677 registered cases of malnutrition on Thursday, and noted more than 260,000 children under the age of 5 are in urgent need of food.
UN agencies and local organizations warn that the continued blockade and obstruction of aid could lead to mass child deaths, amid worsening health and living conditions and the total collapse of the medical system.
Last Sunday, the Gaza Government Media Office warned that the territory is on the brink of “mass death” after more than 140 days of closed border crossings.
