Israeli Airstrikes Decimate Gaza Kitchens, Starvation Threatens Hundreds of Thousands

The Gaza Strip is facing a dire humanitarian crisis as Israeli airstrikes and a stringent blockade have cut off essential supplies, leading to widespread famine and severe malnutrition, particularly among children. Community kitchens, known as "tekiya," which provide critical meals to impoverished residents, have been targeted multiple times, resulting in casualties and further exacerbating food insecurity. Infants like six-month-old Siwar Ashour and one-year-old Siham suffer from extreme malnutrition due to the unavailability of specialized formula and safe food, with health facilities overwhelmed and families displaced by continuous bombing. The blockade has prevented emergency aid for over two months, causing at least 57 starvation deaths, mainly children, and placing approximately 290,000 children at risk of starvation. Aid organizations have been forced to close kitchens due to lack of food, while UN and humanitarian groups call for urgent international intervention to prevent further loss of life. The combined effects of military actions and the blockade have created a catastrophic environment where survival is uncertain for many Gaza residents, especially vulnerable children and families.