More than 100,000 children in the Gaza Strip, including 40,000 infants under the age of one, are at risk of imminent death due to the complete absence of baby formula and nutritional supplements, the Government Media Office in Gaza said Saturday. In a stark statement, the office described the crisis as a "massacre in slow motion," accusing Israel of deliberately starving the enclave's youngest population through its ongoing blockade and closure of all border crossings. Mothers are reportedly forced to feed their infants water for days amid the lack of formula, while hospitals and health centers continue to see a surge in severe, life-threatening malnutrition cases, according to the office. Health authorities have recorded at least 122 deaths from starvation and malnutrition so far, including 83 children, as the medical system nears total collapse and food supplies run critically low. Calling the situation "a shocking warning issued in the name of humanity and global conscience," the media office demanded the immediate entry of baby formula and supplements, the unconditional reopening of all crossings, and an end to what it called Israel's "criminal siege." It urged swift international action to stop what it termed a "deliberate extermination campaign against children." The statement held the Israeli government and its international allies "fully responsible for a looming crime against humanity," warning that global silence would amount to "explicit complicity in the genocide of Gaza's children." Since the start of its military offensive on Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli army has killed over 59,700 Palestinians — most of them women and children — according to local authorities. The bombardment has decimated the territory and worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis. In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a separate genocide case at the International Court of Justice. — Agencies
