Sun May 11 08:30:00 UTC 2025: ## Gaza Blockade Exacerbates Humanitarian Crisis as Death Toll Rises

**Gaza City, Palestine –** At least 21 Palestinians, including several children, have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the weekend, intensifying a humanitarian crisis already deepened by a months-long Israeli blockade. The blockade, in place since March 2nd, has prevented the entry of essential supplies, including food and medicine, leaving the enclave’s 2.3 million residents facing starvation and a lack of access to vital healthcare.

Israeli attacks targeted multiple locations, including a tent sheltering displaced families in Deir al-Balah, killing four, and another tent in Gaza City, killing five members of the Tlaib family, including three children. Further strikes resulted in additional civilian casualties. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported at least 23 deaths and 124 injuries in the past 24 hours.

The blockade’s impact is particularly devastating for those with chronic illnesses. Patients suffering from diabetes, cancer, and other conditions are deprived of life-saving medication, with reports of desperate families bartering for insulin and other essential drugs. Hospitals are struggling to cope with the lack of supplies, with doctors warning of preventable deaths due to the lack of access to treatment. Multiple charities, including World Central Kitchen, have been forced to shut down due to a lack of supplies.

The United Nations has issued a desperate plea for the blockade to be lifted, highlighting the dire situation facing children and vulnerable populations. The UN also rejected a US initiative to establish a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, citing concerns that it would violate principles of neutrality and potentially weaponize aid. The situation continues to deteriorate rapidly, with reports of increasing malnutrition and deaths due to lack of food and medicine. The escalating violence and the ongoing blockade paint a grim picture of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.

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