Malnutrition deaths in Gaza rise to 57

The Gaza government media office has reported that 57 Palestinians have died of malnutrition, with most of the victims children, the sick and the elderly.

It warned that the toll is likely to increase if Israel continues to block aid from entering the strip.

In a statement, the office condemned "in the strongest terms, the continued use of food by the Israeli occupation as a weapon of war and its imposition of a stifling blockade against more than 2.4 million people in the Gaza Strip by completely closing the crossings for the 63rd consecutive day".

It further called on “the international community, humanitarian organisations and human rights organisations to take immediate and effective action and exert pressure by all means to open the Rafah border crossing and all other crossings”.