GAZA, June 27, 2025 (WAFA) – Two infants have died in the Gaza Strip as a result of severe malnutrition and a critical shortage of infant formula, as the Israeli siege and military assault on the enclave continue to devastate civilian life.

The families of the two infants laid them to rest on Thursday evening after their deaths at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. Both children died due to a lack of basic nutrition and access to essential medical care.

Last week, medical sources in Gaza warned of an imminent health catastrophe, particularly for newborns and infants, amid the continued unavailability of baby formula and critical medicines due to the Israeli blockade.

Mahmoud Shurrab, the uncle of five-month-old Nidal, said the baby passed away due to “malnutrition and the absence of milk,” adding that there are other infants in the hospital in similar or worse condition. He called for immediate international intervention to deliver therapeutic milk and adequate nutrition for children.

Mohammad Al-Hams, father of ten-day-old Kinda, said his daughter died from severe malnutrition and a lack of necessary medications.

According to local medical authorities, the total number of deaths in Gaza attributed to shortages of food and medicine has now risen to 244. Most of the victims are children and the elderly, with many more at risk as the humanitarian crisis deepens.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been carrying out a campaign of genocide in Gaza. This includes widespread killings, destruction of infrastructure, mass displacement, and deliberate starvation of the population, in defiance of international appeals and rulings by the International Court of Justice.

The ongoing assault has resulted in more than 188,000 people killed or injured, the majority of whom are women and children. Over 11,000 remain missing, and hundreds of thousands have been forcibly displaced. A famine is sweeping through many parts of the territory, claiming the lives of increasing numbers of civilians.

M.N