The protest came amid mounting global concern over reports of starvation in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people are on the brink of starvation, according to United Nations agencies. Dozens of Palestinians, mostly children, have died from starvation and malnutrition amid the continued Israeli blockade.
Medical sources reported that 21 children died within 72 hours from severe hunger and malnutrition, with hospitals in Gaza overwhelmed with patients suffering from acute food deprivation. The International Middle East Media Centre reports that 900,000 children in Gaza are now suffering from hunger, with 70,000 having reached the malnutrition stage.
The Palestinian death toll on Tuesday alone exceeded 45, with dozens more wounded, many of them aid seekers, according to hospital reports. The Council of the League of Arab States has called for immediate international action to halt Israeli military operations and ensure unimpeded delivery of aid.
Palestinian professional unions, including the Bar Association, Journalists Association, Doctors Association, Teachers Association, and others, issued a joint appeal calling on their international counterparts to speak out against what they termed a "systematic starvation policy."
Medical professionals on the ground describe hospitals operating at over 250% capacity, lacking beds, basic supplies, and medicines. Reports indicate that medical staff themselves are suffering from exhaustion and, in some cases, malnutrition.
The Director of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society issued a grave warning, saying Gaza has entered a critical phase, with widespread fatalities from famine now imminent, particularly among children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
The UN Relief and Works Agency previously reported that malnutrition rates among children under five doubled between March and June, with over 5,500 children diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has declared that humanitarian conditions in Gaza have reached "unprecedented levels." Over 2.1 million people—crammed into just 12% of Gaza's territory—now face starvation, with little access to food, clean water, or shelter.