Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1514 EAT on Tuesday 22 July 2025
The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza has released updated figures on deaths caused by malnutrition, reporting that 33 people—including 12 children—have died in the past 48 hours alone.
According to a ministry spokesperson, the total number of malnutrition-related deaths since the war began in 2023 now stands at 101, with children accounting for 80 of those fatalities.
More than 20 countries, including the UK, issued a joint statement on Monday condemning what they described as Israel’s “unacceptable” conduct in Gaza, following reports that Palestinians had been killed while queuing for food at designated distribution points.
In response, Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy stated, “This is a war against Hamas, not against the people of Gaza.”
The journalists’ association of Agence France-Presse (AFP), the international news agency based in France, has issued a stark warning that the last remaining reporters in Gaza face the risk of dying without immediate intervention, as their colleagues endure the threat of starvation.
In a letter released on Monday, written in French, the association said AFP has been relying on freelance journalists in Gaza and declared: “We refuse to see them die.”
The letter paints a grim picture of freelancers living in “absolute destitution,” with no access to adequate food, water, or sanitation, all while continuing to risk their lives to document the conflict.
AFP’s management responded with a statement acknowledging the severity of the situation. It said the agency has “watched helplessly” as the living conditions of its freelancers have “deteriorated dramatically,” and described their current situation as “untenable, despite their exemplary courage.”
The agency also noted that it had successfully evacuated its eight staff members and their families from Gaza between January and April 2024, and is now taking steps to do the same for its freelance team. However, it stressed the extreme difficulty of such efforts due to the ongoing blockade.
AFP is calling on Israeli authorities to urgently allow safe evacuation of its freelance journalists from Gaza.
Doctors are warning of an alarming rise in deaths, particularly among diabetic and kidney patients, who are especially vulnerable due to the collapse of medical services and lack of access to essential care.
In addition to the latest figures from Salmiya, the Hamas-run Health Ministry reports that 15 more people in Gaza have died from starvation and malnutrition in the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of such deaths to 101 since the war began—80 of them children.
Since the Israeli and U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began distributing aid in late May, there have been near-daily reports of Palestinians being killed while attempting to access assistance.
While both Israel and the GHF have challenged the death tolls reported by the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, the ministry’s figures are widely regarded as a reliable reflection of fatalities documented by hospitals across the territory.
Since the Israeli and U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began distributing aid in late May, there have been near-daily reports of Palestinians being killed while attempting to access assistance.
Both Israel and the GHF have disputed the death tolls reported by the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. However, the ministry’s figures are widely regarded by humanitarian organizations and medical professionals as a credible reflection of fatalities confirmed by hospitals across the territory.
Elsewhere in Gaza, one person has been killed and 118 others injured in Gaza City, according to a statement from the Palestinian Red Crescent.
The mass casualty incident reportedly occurred when civilians were targeted while waiting for aid near Nabulsi Junction in the city’s south-western area, the statement said.
Since the early hours of Tuesday, medical teams at al-Quds Hospital have been treating the wounded.
Invest or Donate towards HICGI New Agency Global Media Establishment – Watch video here
Email: editorial@hicginewsagency.com TalkBusiness@hicginewsagency.com WhatsApp +256713137566
Follow us on all social media, type “HICGI News Agency” .
HICGI News Agency 