A Spanish aid boat is en route to Gaza, opening a new maritime corridor intended to allow deliveries of desperately needed food to the Palestinian territory ravaged by months of Israeli offensive, AFP reports.

In a sign of worsening humanitarian conditions, Gaza’s health ministry says 27 people have died of malnutrition and dehydration, most of them children.

Fresh bombardments could be heard in southern Gaza, an AFP journalist said earlier on Wednesday, and the health ministry reported another 70 people killed in overnight strikes.

With land shipments into the territory severely curtailed, the international community has sought to diversify routes for delivering aid, including via air drops and the new Cyprus maritime corridor. Cyprus said a second vessel was also being prepared.