The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning that famine is now gripping Gaza, with Palestinian children bearing the brunt of starvation and disease. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus condemned the crisis as “man-made mass starvation,” blaming Israel’s blockade for cutting off food, water, and medical aid.

According to the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), famine conditions have already taken hold in large parts of Gaza, with catastrophic levels of hunger and malnutrition. Nearly a third of hunger-related deaths are children under five, with at least 88 Palestinian children killed by starvation since March.

“Peace is the best medicine,” said Dr. Tedros, demanding immediate, unrestricted aid access. The WHO and other UN agencies warn that without urgent intervention, deaths from hunger and preventable diseases will surge. Yet Israel’s siege continues, leaving Gaza’s hospitals overwhelmed and families scavenging for scraps.

As the world watches, Palestinians in Gaza are not just dying from bombs but from deliberate deprivation, a slow, cruel punishment meted out under blockade.