Amnesty International on 18 August accused Israel of conducting a “deliberate campaign of starvation” in the Gaza Strip, asserting that Israeli forces have systematically restricted food, water and medical supplies in a manner intended to destroy the territory’s social fabric. The rights group released first-hand testimonies from displaced families and doctors and urged governments to suspend arms transfers that could facilitate further violations. Local health data indicate the humanitarian toll is deepening. Gaza’s Ministry of Health said on 19 August that malnutrition and related illnesses have killed 266 Palestinians, including 112 children, since October 2023. The figure has risen steadily in recent days, with seven deaths reported on 18 August alone. Hospitals warn that dozens of additional patients are at risk because therapeutic feeding supplies are exhausted. The United Nations Office for Human Rights separately reported that at least 1,760 Palestinians were shot or shelled while attempting to obtain aid between 27 May and 13 August, nearly a thousand of them near distribution sites. A UN spokesperson said the volume of relief Israel allows into Gaza remains “far below what would be required to avert widespread starvation.” Aid personnel are also being caught in the violence. Marking World Humanitarian Day on 19 August, the UN said a record 383 aid workers were killed globally in 2024, almost half of them in Gaza. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called the figures and the absence of accountability “a shameful indictment of international apathy” and repeated demands that all parties protect civilians and those delivering assistance.