SRINAGAR: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced the closure of 21 malnutrition treatment centres in Gaza, citing renewed Israeli military operations and evacuation orders that have rendered the facilities inoperable. The announcement, made by UNICEF spokesperson Kazem Abu Khalaf, underscores the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave.
Speaking to reporters, Abu Khalaf said that UNICEF is now awaiting the latest assessment from the Food Security Classification Commission in Gaza to determine the full extent of the crisis. He added that Israel’s ongoing closure of border crossings has blocked the entry of vital humanitarian aid, including medical supplies and nutritional supplements, for 35 consecutive days.
The development comes amid growing international concern over the plight of Gaza’s children. UNICEF had earlier warned that over one million children have been deprived of life-saving assistance for more than a month. The agency stressed that the denial of aid constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law and has devastating implications for the health and survival of Gaza’s youngest residents.
Thousands of UNICEF aid parcels remain stuck outside the Gaza Strip, including essential infant food supplements. The agency has confirmed that complementary foods for babies have completely run out, and the remaining ready-to-eat milk will only suffice for 400 children for one month.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes have continued unabated across the territory. At least 46 Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours, including 21 in overnight strikes that targeted Gaza City and southern areas of the Strip. In one particularly harrowing incident, a drone strike killed a father and his daughter, while another strike on a displacement tent claimed the lives of at least six people.
Outrage has intensified after new footage emerged showing Israeli forces firing on emergency workers wearing reflective vests and operating inside clearly marked vehicles. The attack reportedly killed 15 medics. Human rights groups have condemned the footage as further evidence of Israel’s disregard for international law.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 50,695 Palestinians have been confirmed killed and 115,338 injured since Israel launched its war on Gaza. The Government Media Office has updated the death toll to more than 61,700, stating that thousands remain buried under the rubble and are presumed dead.
The escalating health crisis is compounded by Israel’s reported prevention of vaccine deliveries, including crucial polio vaccines. Gaza’s Health Ministry has likened the blockade to “a time bomb that threatens to spread the epidemic,” warning that over 602,000 children are now at risk of permanent paralysis and chronic disabilities.
In a stark statement, the ministry said: “Preventing the entry of vaccines means the collapse of the efforts made over the past seven months, which means serious and catastrophic repercussions will be added to the targeted and exhausted health system.”
The ministry called on international health authorities and humanitarian organisations to pressure Israel into allowing the urgent entry of vaccines and other critical medical supplies.
Survivors of recent airstrikes have described scenes of devastation. Jamal al-Mdhoun, a resident of Khan Younis, recounted the bombing of his neighbourhood: “We were peacefully sleeping, and all of a sudden, homes were levelled. We pulled out eight dead bodies, all of them women and children – not a single man.”
He accused Israel of targeting civilians indiscriminately: “Their goal is to kill any human being with a Muslim identity. Those innocent women and children were all blown to pieces.”
As the situation worsens, calls are mounting for immediate international intervention to facilitate humanitarian access and to prevent a full-scale collapse of Gaza’s healthcare and food systems. (The news report is based on the ground reports by various global media outlets)
