28 children have died of malnutrition in Gaza, Ministry of Health says
A total of 28 children have died of malnutrition in Gaza, according to the enclave's Ministry of Health.
Famine is imminent in northern Gaza, where people have been forced to survive on less than 250 calories a day, according to Oxfam, an organization focused on alleviating global poverty.
That's less than a can of fava beans, which "represents less than 12 per cent of the recommended daily 2,100 calorie intake needed per person, calculated using demographic data considering variations by age and gender," according to the organization.
"Israel is making deliberate choices to starve civilians," said Amitabh Behar, Oxfam's international executive director. "Imagine what it is like, not only to be trying to survive on 245 calories day in, day out, but also having to watch your children or elderly relatives do the same. All whilst displaced, with little to no access to clean water or a toilet, knowing most medical support has gone and under the constant threat of drones and bombs."
The Global Nutrition Cluster also estimates one in six children in northern Gaza are acutely malnourished, "with an estimated 3% facing the most severe form of wasting and requiring immediate treatment."
U.N. Secretary General António Guterres warned today that people in Gaza are "facing a catastrophic famine."
"The Palestinians in Gaza are facing a catastrophic famine and children are dying due to lack of water and food," he said. "There is no justification for collective punishment against the Palestinians."
More than 2% of children in Gaza were killed or injured by Israel in last six months, group says
More than 2% of children in Gaza, almost 26,000, have been killed or injured by Israel in the last six months, according to Save the Children.
"Children in Gaza have been killed and maimed by Israeli forces at an unprecedented rate," the nongovernmental organization said in a news release. This includes more than 13,800 killed in Gaza and 114 killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
"Israeli forces have also hit ambulances, medical aid convoys and access roads, decimating Gaza’s health system and undermining access to healthcare at the time when the 1.1 million children in Gaza need it most," the organization said.
The education system is also under attack in Gaza, where there are over 620,000 registered students, but none have had formal education since Oct. 7, according to Save the Children. Israeli bombardment has left nearly 90% of all school buildings damaged or destroyed.
"The destruction of schools, a grave violation against children in conflict, will have a lasting impact on a generation whose learning will remain in jeopardy even after hostilities cease," the group said.
The group also warns that the destruction of homes and schools will likely lead to a long-lasting psychosocial impact on children.
"Those who have survived so far have dwindling chances of continuing to do so," said Xavier Joubert, the group's country director in the occupied Palestinian territory. "This war is not only destroying Gaza, but also the fundamental tenets of childhood. Relentless bombs and hostilities are causing potential ‘domicide’ of homes and infrastructure, with a reported 70% of homes damaged or destroyed. We’ve seen it in other conflicts, but this may be the highest share of homes destroyed in such a short time."
Joubert urged the world to "act now to ensure an immediate and definitive cease-fire," as well as humanitarian access to Gaza.
"As with all children, we owe children in Gaza a dignified future — but at this rate, they are at risk of having no future at all," Joubert said.
Over 200 Palestinian children in Israeli prisons, NGO says
There are more than 200 Palestinian children in Israel prisons, including 23 from Gaza, according to the Palestinian Prisoner Club, a nongovernmental organization established to support prisoners in Israeli custody.
The number of detained children may be an undercount, the group says
More than 500 children have been arrested in the West Bank since Oct. 7. Israeli forces target children in “direct ways and means, without any regard to any agreements guaranteeing children their rights,” the group says.
Today is Palestinian Children's Day, the group said, adding that more than 14,000 children have been killed in Gaza by Israel in the last six months. Around 117 children have been killed by Israel in the West Bank and Jerusalem, the group said.
Iran's reaction to Israel 'is certain' following attack on Damascus, Hezbollah says
Iran's reaction to Israel's attack on the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus that killed two of the country’s top commanders "is certain," according to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.
"Iranians don't act in a rush and out of excitement," Nasrallah said during remarks.
Israel has not commented on the attack this week, but it has acknowledged targeting Iranian forces in Syria, where they are deployed to support President Bashar al-Assad in an ongoing conflict against a patchwork of rebel groups.
Israel has been bracing for a retaliatory attack, halting leave for combat units and boosting aerial defenses.
"The stupidity of Netanyahu’s attack on the Iranian consulate will, God willing, lead to the end of Zionist attacks and hostilities," Nasrallah said.
U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron calls for independent review of World Central Kitchen aid worker killings
U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron called for an independent review of the killings of the World Central Kitchen aid workers.
The seven aid workers included team members from Britain. World Central Kitchen did not release their identities.
"We are carefully reviewing the initial findings of Israel’s investigations into the killing of WCK aid workers and welcome the suspension of two officers as a first step," Cameron said in a post on X.
Cameron said Israel's findings "must be published in full and followed up with a wholly independent review to ensure the utmost transparency and accountability."
Ashdod port temporarily allows aid into Gaza
A view of Ashdod port in southern Israel today, after the Israeli Cabinet approved the temporary use of the port for aid deliveries into Gaza.
The three new steps Israel says it will take to let more aid into Gaza
Israel has approved three new steps to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza after the Biden-Netanyahu call.
The temporary reopening of the Erez Crossing, a land route into northern Gaza from Israel that has been closed since the war began, could allow crucial supplies to make it to the hard-hit area where the population is thought to be on the brink of starvation.
Israel has also said it will allow aid shipments heading to Gaza by sea to be processed at its port in Ashdod, and promised to increase aid shipments from regional power Jordan through another land crossing.
“This increased aid will prevent a humanitarian crisis and is necessary to ensure the continuation of the fighting and to achieve the goals of the war,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement hours after he came under new pressure from the U.S.
U.N. Security Council to meet about attacks on Gaza aid workers
The U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency meeting about attacks on humanitarian workers in Gaza and the risk of famine in the territory.
The meeting today was requested by Algeria, the Arab representative on the council, joined by Guyana, Slovenia and Switzerland. Israeli airstrikes earlier this week killed seven aid workers from the charity World Central Kitchen, which has demanded an independent investigation.
A U.N. aid convoy was scheduled to head out last night after the U.N. paused night operations for 48 hours, said U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric. He told reporters the convoy “will hopefully make it to the north.”
“Because of what happened to World Central Kitchen, we had to pause … and regroup and reassess all sorts of factors,” he said.
U.S. 'carefully' reviewing Israeli investigation into killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers, Blinken says
The U.S. is "very carefully" reviewing the Israeli investigation into the killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a briefing in Belgium today.
"We received Israel’s report on the terrible killing of the World Central Kitchen team in Gaza a few days ago," Blinken said. "We’re reviewing it very carefully. We’ll be discussing his conclusions with Israeli officials and with humanitarian organizations in the days to come."
It's "very important that Israel is taking full responsibility for this incident," Blinken said.
"And we’ll be, as I said, assessing fully the report on the World Central Kitchen incident and looking to see not just what what steps are being taken, but the results that follow from them," he said.
Iran vows to punish Israel after funeral for commanders killed in consulate strike
Iran has reiterated its vow to punish Israel for the attack on its consulate in Syria earlier this week that killed a number of senior military commanders.
“No act of the enemy against the sacred Islamic Republic will go unanswered,” Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander-in-chief, told the large crowd gathered in Tehran today for the funeral of those killed. “Our brave men will punish the Zionist regime.”
Former Guard commander Mohsen Rezaei, commenting on the possibility of retaliation against Israel, said: “The decision has been made. It will definitely be implemented,” according to the semiofficial Tasnim news site.The funeral coincided with the annual Quds (Jerusalem) Day, during which Iran stages large state-sponsored pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel rallies nationwide.
The leader of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, Ziad al-Nakhala, took part in the Tehran rally, Iranian media reported.