The World Health Organisation (WHO) Thursday confirmed that Gaza recorded its highest monthly rate of acute child malnutrition in July, amid rising hunger-related deaths.

WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that nearly 12,000 children under the age of five were diagnosed with acute malnutrition in Gaza last month, the highest monthly figure recorded since the beginning of the Israeli war on the Strip.

Meanwhile, WHO representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Rik Peeperkorn, emphasised that the total amount of food aid reaching Gaza is vastly insufficient to prevent further deterioration. He underscored the urgent need to scale up aid delivery and diversify food supplies for the starving population.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to deepen amid an ongoing blockade and severe shortages of food and medical supplies. A brutal famine is unfolding alongside a war waged by the occupation for the past 23 months. UN and international bodies has repeatedly warned that the humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels, rendering life nearly impossible.

Four Palestinians have died in Gaza in the past 24 hours as a result of the famine and malnutrition the Strip has been facing since last March, due to the Israeli occupation's closure of all crossings for humanitarian aid.

Medical sources in the Strip reported that two children were among the dead, bringing the total number of victims of famine and malnutrition to 197, including 96 children.

The humanitarian crisis continues to worsen due to the siege and shortages of food and medical supplies. The severe famine is intertwined with the genocidal war waged by the occupation against the Strip for 23 months.