Israeli blockade on Gaza leads to over 300 miscarriages
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Gaza’s media office warns of mass starvation and medical collapse under “Israel’s” 84-day siege, calling it a war crime, with over 300 miscarriages and 300 deaths linked to the aid blockade.
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A Palestinian woman feeds her children at a tent sheltering a displaced family in central Gaza City, Saturday, May 24, 2025 (AP)
The Government Media Office in Gaza has underlined that the Israeli occupation is enforcing a total blockade on the Strip for the 84th consecutive day, warning that the closure of all border crossings and the systematic starvation of the population constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under international law.
In a statement issued Saturday, the office said the blockade has been compounded by continuous, deliberate airstrikes and killings that amount to an ongoing genocide. “Israel’s” promotion of what it called a “deceptive narrative” about allowing aid entry was strongly refuted by Gaza authorities, who revealed that fewer than 100 aid trucks have entered, less than 1% of the basic needs of the population.
According to the statement, Gaza should have received at least 46,200 trucks carrying food, medicine, and fuel since the start of the siege to meet the population’s minimum requirements. Instead, the few trucks permitted entry have faced additional challenges, including severe restrictions on their movement, looting by armed groups allegedly operating with the occupation’s tacit approval, and direct targeting of teams working to secure the aid.
Catastrophic toll of starvation and medicine shortages
The office released preliminary statistics detailing the toll of the siege, reporting:
- 58 deaths due to malnutrition
- 242 deaths resulting from the lack of food and medicine, mostly among the elderly
- 26 kidney patients died due to the absence of nutritional and medical care
- More than 300 miscarriages among pregnant women due to a lack of essential nutrients
It also warned that humanitarian organizations are being prevented from distributing aid directly to civilians, a policy enforced by “Israel” and confirmed by international NGOs, which is exacerbating hunger among the most vulnerable.
The statement highlighted ongoing assaults on the healthcare sector, particularly violations of international law that protect medical personnel and infrastructure during conflict. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that the European Gaza Hospital has been repeatedly targeted, with heavy gunfire making evacuations impossible and trapping medical staff inside.
IOF using civilians as human shields
The Hamas resistance movement also issued a statement condemning documented cases of Israeli forces using Palestinian civilians as human shields, both in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
“These revelations serve as further proof of the fascist nature of the occupation’s army and its systematic violations of international law,” the statement read. Hamas emphasized that admissions from soldiers themselves, as well as testimony from the Breaking the Silence organization, confirm the use of civilians and detainees in operations, which is prohibited under international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
The group called on the international community, including the United Nations and its affiliated institutions, to act urgently to halt these violations, prosecute those responsible, and abandon what it described as the “shameful silence” that enables the occupation’s ongoing crimes.
Palestinians in Gaza enduring 'cruelest phase' of war
On Friday, UN chief Antonio Guterres emphasized that Palestinians in Gaza are "enduring what may be the cruelest phase of this cruel conflict" as "Israel" ramps up its war on the enclave.
"For nearly 80 days, Israel blocked the entry of life-saving international aid," he said in a statement. "The entire population of Gaza is facing the risk of famine.
"The Israeli military offensive is intensifying with atrocious levels of death and destruction."
Read more: Pope Leo XIV urges Israelis to let humanitarian aid into Gaza
Aid began trickling into the Gaza Strip this week for the first time in more than two months, amid condemnation of the Israeli blockade that sparked severe shortages of food and medicine. But Guterres pointed out that of almost 400 trucks cleared for entry into Gaza through the Karem Abu Salem crossing, supplies from only 115 have been able to be collected.
