A Gazan woman, Marah Abu Zuhri, age 20, has tragically died in a hospital in Italy shortly after her evacuation for medical treatment. Flying overnight from Gaza to Pisa with her mother under a scheme initiated by the Italian government, Marah was in a critical condition due to severe malnutrition. The University Hospital of Pisa reported that she suffered a cardiac arrest less than 48 hours after her arrival, which was linked to her significant weight and muscle loss. Reports from Italian news agencies highlighted that she was severely emaciated.
The United Nations has been sounding alarms regarding widespread malnutrition in Gaza, with warnings from experts indicating a potential "worst-case scenario" of famine. Despite these claims, the Israeli government has denied the existence of starvation within Gaza, suggesting that humanitarian agencies have failed to efficiently deliver aid at border checkpoints.
Since the onset of the Israel-Gaza conflict, over 180 children and adults have been brought to hospitals in Italy for urgent medical care. Recently, 31 patients, many suffering from serious congenital diseases, injuries, or amputations, arrived at facilities in Rome, Milan, and Pisa. The British Parliament is now urging their government to expedite the rescue of sick and injured Gazan children, following a promise by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to establish an evacuation program.
The humanitarian crisis escalates further as Israel's government prepares to provide residents of Gaza City with tents and necessary supplies, preparing to relocate them to designated "safe zones." Heavy bombardments have caused catastrophic conditions in regions like Zeitoun, resulting in considerable displacement and destruction.
As reported by Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, escalating Israeli strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 36 individuals on a recent Saturday, while 11 additional fatalities tied to malnutrition raised hunger-related deaths to over 250. The Israeli military maintains that they are committed to civilian safety, attributing the ongoing humanitarian situation to actions taken by Hamas. The ongoing conflict has claimed the lives of more than 60,000 people, according to the health ministry in Gaza.
