Four-year-old Palestinian boy starves to death as Israeli bombardment continues

The Gaza Civil Defense announced the death of 4-year-old Mohammed Mustafa Yassin due to malnutrition amid the ongoing siege and continued Israeli starvation policy.

Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said in a video statement: “Mohammed Yassin died from hunger, a direct result of the occupation’s prevention of food and medical aid from entering Gaza.”

“Mohammed was not the first child, and the fear has become a certainty that he won’t be the last, as the Zionist starvation war continues,” Basal added.

In a recorded video, Basal appears carrying the body of young Yassin, who died of malnutrition in Gaza City.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, says at least 500 to 600 trucks need to reach Gaza every day, “managed through the UN including UNRWA”.

“A meaningful and uninterrupted flow of aid into Gaza is the only way to prevent the current disaster from spiraling further,” UNRWA said in a post on X.

“The people of Gaza cannot wait any longer.”

The Israeli military claims that about 300 aid trucks have entered Gaza since Israel lifted its total blockade last week, although one Palestinian official said the number is much lower, just 92 trucks.

The U.N. World Food Programme said 15 trucks carrying flour to WFP-supported bakeries had been looted, which it said reflected the dire conditions facing Gazans.

“Hunger, desperation and anxiety over whether more food aid is coming is contributing to rising insecurity,” it said in a statement.

A Hamas official said six members of a security team tasked with guarding the shipments were killed.

Israel imposed the blockade in early March, accusing Hamas of stealing aid meant for civilians. Hamas rejects the charge, saying a number of its own fighters have been killed protecting the trucks from armed looters.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which generally considers all armed Palestinians as militants.