The Palestinian health ministry has warned of a sharp rise in famine-related deaths driven by Israel’s ongoing and deliberate starvation in the Gaza Strip.
At least 185 Palestinians died from malnutrition in August, the highest toll in months, the ministry said on Tuesday.
Since Gaza City was declared a famine zone by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), 89 deaths have been recorded, including 16 children.
Overall, at least 367 people, including 131 children, have died from malnutrition since the Israeli genocide began in October 2023.
The ministry added that more than 43,000 children under five are now suffering from malnutrition.
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Additionally, over 55,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are also affected. An estimated 67 percent of pregnant women have anaemia, the worst rate in years.
“The catastrophic impact of famine in the Gaza Strip is accelerating,” the ministry said.
It warned of “the severity of the current indicators and the limited emergency response amid shortages in food and medical supplies”.
Since Israel imposed a total closure of Gaza’s borders on 2 March, nearly two million people in the besieged enclave have entered a new and devastating phase of the war. Wheat flour has become a luxury item, and hundreds have died from hunger and malnutrition.
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Although the borders were partially reopened for some goods and international aid, most residents remain unable to access food, either due to soaring prices, looting of aid trucks or the dangers of reaching hazardous aid distribution points.
Last month, the IPC, a UN-backed global hunger monitor, officially declared famine in Gaza City for the first time.
Amid global pressure, Israel said it partially reopened the borders in recent weeks for some goods and international aid.
However, the amount entering Gaza is between 10 and 20 percent of the enclave’s needs, according to the Gaza-based Government Media Office.
More than 430 types of essential food items needed by children and the sick remain banned.
These include vital food items such as eggs, meat, fish, cheese, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, and nutritional supplements.
Additionally, most trucks that enter are looted by Israeli-backed gangs. Limited food distributed at the deadly and controversial US-backed aid points is inaccessible to most people.
Intensifying air strikes
Amid worsening famine, Israeli forces have intensified air strikes across the Gaza Strip in recent days, focusing heavily on Gaza City.
The city – home to nearly one million people – is the target of an impending Israeli assault aimed at forcibly displacing its residents and flattening what remains of its homes.
Relentless bombardment…
Missiles rain from the sky as people are left between the dead, the wounded, and the displaced with no shelter.
The city is under siege — and the world merely watches..!
pic.twitter.com/pHkhTuxZfJ— أنس الشريف Anas Al-Sharif (@AnasAlSharif0) September 2, 2025
On Tuesday alone, Israeli attacks killed more than 113 Palestinians, including 53 in Gaza City, which is amongst the areas hardest hit by the famine, according to health officials.
Since the start of the genocide nearly two years ago, Israeli forces have killed at least 63,500 Palestinians and wounded over 160,000.
More than 80 percent of those killed are civilians, according to data cited by the Israeli military itself.
