As the Israeli regime continues the siege of the Gaza Strip, the ministry of health in the Palestinian territory has warned that at least 60,000 children suffer from severe malnourishment and related health complications.

The health ministry’s statement came on Wednesday, a day after Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres rejected Israel’s new proposal to control aid deliveries to Gaza.

Since March 2, the Israeli regime has closed off all crossings into Gaza and blocked the entry of essential supplies, including food, medicine, and water.

The health ministry has warned that “the lack of adequate nutrition and drinking water will compound health challenges, with the continued ban on vaccinations for children, especially polio vaccinations.”

The siege has resulted in the closure of 21 nutrition centers and has disrupted care for the already severely malnourished children of Gaza, the ministry said.

According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Israel’s ongoing siege of the region has had a “devastating impact” on children in the enclave.

“Safe water, food, shelter, and medical care have become increasingly scarce. The impact on children is devastating,” UNRWA said.

“All basic supplies are running out … It means babies, children are going to bed hungry. Every day without these basic supplies, Gaza inches closer towards very, very deep hunger,” said Juliette Touma, Director of Communications at UNRWA.

Last month, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) reported that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of starvation because the activities of the Israeli military have disrupted food assistance operations across the war-torn region.

“WFP and partners from the food security sector have been unable to bring new food supplies into Gaza for more than three weeks,” the Organization said in a statement.

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