Despite a recent UN Security Council resolution urging an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan, Israel is continuing its attacks on the occupied enclave and maintaining the blockade of humanitarian aid.
Reports say at least 76 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza in the past 24 hours. Since 7 October, Isreal has killed over 32,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, and wounded nearly 75,000. Over a thousand casualties were reported on the Israeli side in the Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7 October.
In addition to intense air and ground attacks on Gaza, Israeli forces are blocking entry of emergency aid into Gaza, where the UN’s food agency reports a rapid rise in malnutrition among children in northern Gaza, with one in three children under two years old currently experiencing acute malnourishment or “wasting.”
According to the World Food Programme, about 70 percent of the population in the north is experiencing severe hunger.
A recent report supported by the UN warned that famine could potentially strike the northern Gaza Strip as early as May.
In the entire Gaza Strip, the number of individuals facing severe hunger has increased to 1.1 million, accounting for half of the population.
The United Nations and humanitarian organisations have accused Israel of using starvation as a “weapon of war” in Gaza.
In an efforts to prevent famine and severe hunger in Gaza, Spanish military aircraft have dropped 26 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. The operation, conducted in collaboration with Jordan and with funding from the European Union, involved the airdrop of over 11,000 food rations.
Spain has also urged Israel to open its land border crossings to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid and prevent a famine.
Additionally, the Spanish Foreign Ministry has reiterated its commitment to supporting UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, and ensuring its survival.