The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has sounded the alarm over a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where hundreds of infants and premature babies are facing life-threatening risks due to the severe shortage of therapeutic and infant formula milk, reported the Middle East Eye. The ongoing Israeli blockade has choked the supply of critical humanitarian and medical aid for nearly four months, leading to the collapse of neonatal care systems in hospitals across the Gaza Strip.
In an urgent statement released on Tuesday, PCHR condemned Israel’s obstruction of aid, stating, “This shortage puts hundreds of vulnerable children at risk. Such actions constitute a war crime and reflect the genocidal policies continuing for a second consecutive year.”
Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), especially in hospitals like Al-Rantisi Pediatric Hospital, are struggling to function without essential milk formulas that are used for infants with weakened immune systems, digestive disorders, or breastfeeding complications.
Dr. Jamil Suliman, director of the hospital, said, “Therapeutic milk has been completely unavailable for some time now. We have recorded deaths—some very likely due to the absence of proper formula. We need around 500 cans per month, but our supplies are nearly exhausted.”
Formulas such as lactose-free, soy-based, and hydrolysed milk are now nonexistent, while many mothers, weakened by malnutrition themselves, are unable to breastfeed.
The crisis has extended into homes. Azhar Mohammed Warsh Agha, a 33-year-old widow living in a tent in Gaza City, shared her desperate situation. “I had no choice but to buy milk for older babies at ten times the price. My 4-month-old daughter developed severe bloating, diarrhoea, and breathing issues after consuming it.”
The World Health Organisation has reported 55 child deaths from malnutrition in Gaza in 2025 alone. UNICEF-supported centres reported 5,119 cases of severe malnutrition among children under five in May—a 146% spike since February. Over 16,700 children have received treatment for malnutrition-related issues this year, according to local health authorities.
PCHR emphasized that if the blockade continues, these numbers will skyrocket. The organization condemned the Israeli military’s refusal to allow the entry of food and medical aid, calling it a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and a potential war crime under the Rome Statute.
PCHR further cited the International Court of Justice’s binding orders to Israel to allow unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza, accusing Tel Aviv of ignoring international legal rulings.
This warning follows Israel’s recent blacklisting by the United Nations for committing serious violations against children during armed conflict. PCHR called this inclusion “a clear acknowledgment of Israel’s systematic abuses.”
The group also urged the European Union to suspend its EU-Israel Association Agreement, saying continued cooperation amounts to “EU complicity in the genocide of Palestinians.” It called on the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health to investigate Israel’s actions and ensure accountability.
“We are witnessing a total humanitarian collapse,” PCHR stated. “Infants should not be dying from hunger and medical neglect in today’s world. The international community must act now.”
