Palestinian Outcry Intensifies: Bodies Withheld, Starvation Rising in Gaza
Hamas decries Israel’s detention of 726 bodies as a “heinous crime,” amid an escalating famine that claims more lives by starvation.
Occupied Palestine, PUREWILAYAH.COM - In an intensifying tide of humanitarian outrage, the Palestinian resistance group Hamas has condemned Israeli authorities for withholding the bodies of 726 Palestinians, describing the practice as a “heinous crime” and a grievous violation of international norms. The victims include individuals whose remains have been held in “cemeteries of numbers” or refrigerated storage—many for years—denying their families the basic dignity of funeral rites and mourning. Hamas urged the international community to intervene and demand the return of the bodies.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Government Media Office issued a devastating update: 10 more Palestinians, among them two children, have perished from famine and malnutrition in just the past 24 hours. That brings the toll of starvation-related deaths to 313, with at least 119 of the victims being children.
The statement laid bare the severity of Israel’s tight siege. Authorities have closed all border crossings and banned the entry of 430 essential food items, creating an 86% food shortfall. Among the prohibited items are staples like eggs, meats, dairy, fruits, vegetables, and nutritional supplements—critical supplies for survival.
The media office placed full responsibility for this unfolding “starvation crime” on Israel, its principal backer—the United States—and other governments it groups as complicit in what it labeled a genocide. The statement warned of impending catastrophic consequences, particularly for children, the sick, and the elderly, as over 95% of Gaza’s population now lacks any income to secure food.
Adding to the alarm, UNRWA officials confirmed the sharp decline in aid deliveries. No medical equipment has entered Gaza in the past two weeks, and nearly one million children are now at risk of acute malnutrition, with half a million individuals in Gaza City facing imminent famine.
Contextual Overview
Two simultaneous humanitarian crises have emerged:
Dignity denied: The denial of burial rites for 726 Palestinians, held indefinitely by Israeli authorities, has ignited widespread condemnation and demands for urgent accountability.
Famine’s toll: A deliberate blockade and erosion of aid access have turned Gaza into a living crisis—starvation is now systematically claiming lives, with children among the most vulnerable.
Together, these developments underscore a grievous chapter in the Gaza conflict: not only are survivors facing violence and displacement, but they are also being robbed of the basic human rights to mourning, nourishment, and survival. (PW)
Source: PressTv