United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) Head Philippe Lazzarini has appealed for the organisation’s aid stockpiles to be let into Gaza, warning the enclave is suffering from “deliberate mass starvation”.

“Today, more children died, their bodies emaciated by hunger,” said Lazzarini, referencing reports of nine new starvation deaths.

He condemned the US and Israel-backed GHF, which excludes the UN and other relief agencies from the aid process, calling it a “cruel”, politically-driven effort that “takes more lives than it saves”.

“The unfolding famine can only be reversed by a political will,” Lazzarini said in a post on X. “Make ‘never again’ a reality. If we fail the Palestinians in Gaza, others are likely to fail too in the future.”