In a scene dripping with pain, Israel’s manufactured famine in the Gaza Strip continues to claim lives with a heavy silence that the world cannot hear. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced on Friday that nine new deaths had been recorded, and on Saturday another five – all caused by hunger and malnutrition in areas suffering from a suffocating siege and a severe shortage of food, water, and medical care.

This brings the number of famine victims since the beginning of the crisis to 127, including 85 children, whose childhood did not spare them from becoming victims of the blockade and global neglect.

Death without blood in Gaza

The gaunt faces, sunken eyes, and bodies that wither day after day need no words to describe the disaster. In the exhausted hospitals, all that can be heard are the whispers of broken mothers and the cries of children who do not have enough strength in their chests to cry.

The tragedy in Gaza is no longer just numbers in a statement, but a reality experienced by more than two million people left to their fate, under the weight of bombing and famine, while humanity stands by, helpless or complicit.

This hunger is not merely a lack of food, but a direct result of a long siege, the systematic destruction of infrastructure, and the continued prevention of aid from reaching the area. While international appeals continue without sufficient response, children are paying the highest price.

Urgent appeals… and a lackluster response

Despite mounting humanitarian appeals for aid, the international response remains inadequate, raising serious questions about the moral and political responsibility of the countries involved.

In Gaza, children are dying of hunger, not because there is no food in the world, but because it is being prevented from reaching them.

“All I want is to feed my son a piece of bread,” says Umm Ahmad, cradling her baby who has lost the ability to cry. Her voice does not reach the world’s screens… but it echoes in the hearts of every mother in Gaza, struggling to survive with no hope in sight.

Featured image via the Canary

By Alaa Shamali

This post was originally published on Canary.