Once again, the Israeli occupation shows its true colors as it starved a 13-year-old Palestinian boy in Gaza to death due to its closure of the Rafah humanitarian corridor, underlining the ever-worsening humanitarian crisis in the blockaded, war-torn strip.

The child, Abdul Qader al-Sarhi, succumbed to malnutrition at al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, according to a report by Palestine’s official news agency WAFA.

Local medical sources reported that the death toll from malnutrition and dehydration in the Gaza Strip has now risen to 37 as the Israeli occupation's aggression continues unabated in the southern city of Rafah. The dire health situation in Gaza has deteriorated further, with hospitals all over the strip being out of service and unable to provide necessary medical care.

"The health situation in the Gaza Strip has gone from bad to worse, with the [Israeli] military offensive expanding in the city of Rafah and all its hospitals being out of service," said a local medical source.

"The announced toll reflects only what reaches hospitals while dozens are dying silently as a result of famine, without being able to reach hospitals," the source added.

Case after case

This comes after seven-month-old Fayez Abu Ataya, who also starved to death on Thursday in central Gaza due to a severe shortage of milk and medicine caused by the Israeli blockade.

Fayez was shown carried by his father as his lifeless body, resembling a bare skeleton, was flailing as the latter mourned the loss of his child at al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah.

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The continued closure of the Rafah border crossing, which is vital for the delivery of humanitarian aid, has exacerbated the crisis, leaving thousands without access to food, water, and medical supplies.

One of the most renowned cases of starvation to death was that of a child in Abu Youssef Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, wherein he passed away due to malnutrition and the absence of adequate treatment, amid the war of starvation.

Rafah was a major entry route for minimal humanitarian aid and commercial commodities before "Israel" escalated its aggression on May 6, seizing control of the crossing from the Palestinian side.

'Israel' jeopardizing humanitarian efforts

According to Egyptian authorities and sources, the military aggression continues to jeopardize humanitarian efforts, and "Israel" must return the crossing to Palestinians.

A backlog of aid has accumulated on the road between the Egyptian side of the border and the town of al-Arish, which is roughly 45 kilometers (28 miles) west of Rafah and serves as an entry point for foreign humanitarian deliveries.

A truck driver told Reuters that his products had been on his truck for a month, slowly rotting in the heat. "Apples, bananas, chicken and cheese, a lot of things have gone rotten, some stuff has been returned and is being sold for a quarter of its price," he added.

"I'm sorry to say that the onions we're carrying will at best be eaten by animals because of the worms in them."

According to UN data, no vehicles have traveled via Rafah since May 5, and just a handful have passed through the neighboring Israeli border of Karem Abu Salem crossing.

The number of people awaiting assistance has increased substantially, with some trapped for more than two months, according to Khaled Zayed, head of the Egyptian Red Crescent in the region.

Zayed reported that some items are in need of specific temperatures, expressing hope that the border will reopen "as soon as possible."