Israel strikes kill a child every 40 minutes: Ministry

GAZA CITY

Israeli attacks in Gaza have caused the deaths of a child every 40 minutes and a woman every 60 minutes, the Health Ministry in the Palestinian territory has announced, as the U.N warned that the strip is “the hungriest place on the Earth.

The ministry’s report also stated that since the beginning of the war in October 2023, 16,854 children have been killed, accounting for 31.5 percent of all casualties, with 931 of them being under the age of one.

The statement came as the U.N. humanitarian agency said that Gaza is the "only defined area" on Earth where the entire population is at risk of famine.

"Gaza is the hungriest place on earth," said U.N. humanitarian agency OCHA Spokesman Jens Laerke.

"It's the only defined area, a country or defined territory within a country where you have the entire population at risk of famine. 100 percent of the population is at risk of famine,” he warned.

Chaos erupted again on May 29 as tens of thousands of desperate Palestinians tried to collect food from distribution sites run by a new U.S.- and Israeli-backed foundation. Multiple witnesses reported a free-for-all of people grabbing aid and they said Israeli troops opened fire to control crowds.

The criticism came after the White House said that Israel had "signed off" on a new Gaza ceasefire proposal submitted to Hamas, but the militant group said it did not meet their demands.

Hamas member Bassem Naim rejected the new deal, saying it meant "continued killing and famine" and failed to halt the war. However, Hamas leadership is still reviewing the response.

Sources said the new proposal offers a 60-day truce (extendable to 70 days) and the exchange of hostages and bodies for Palestinian prisoners in the first week.

 Macron: Stance on Israel must 'harden'

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said on May 30 that European countries should "harden the collective position" against Israel if it does not respond appropriately to the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

With international pressure mounting on Israel over the deepening hunger crisis in Gaza, Macron said action was needed "in the next few hours and days.”

He also asserted recognition of a Palestinian state with conditions was "not only a moral duty, but a political necessity.”