81 killed in Gaza as Israel begins Gaza City offensive, starvation toll 269

At least 81 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday, 20 August, as Israel intensified its assault on Gaza, with forced starvation and relentless strikes pushing the enclave’s population deeper into catastrophe.

The Israeli military said it had begun the initial stages of its planned operation to seize Gaza City, where close to a million people remain trapped in perilous conditions.

Among the latest victims were three Palestinians who succumbed to hunger, bringing the total number of starvation-related deaths to 269, including 112 children.

Gaza has been gripped by famine as Israel’s blockade has cut off access to food, fuel and medical aid, leaving civilians unable to meet even the most basic needs for survival.

The attacks also included a strike on a tent sheltering displaced families in southern Gaza, killing three people. In another incident that underscored the human toll of Israel’s military campaign, Mohammed Shaalan, a former national basketball player, was shot dead at a GHF aid distribution point.

At least 30 people seeking food assistance were reported killed on Wednesday alone.

Israel’s plan to take over Gaza City stirs fears for civilians and hostages

Humanitarian agencies warn that Gaza’s crisis is entering an unprecedented phase. The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) issued a stark warning that malnutrition is surging across the territory under Israel’s aid blockade.

“This isn’t just hunger. This is starvation,” the agency said, adding that malnutrition weakens immune systems, causes irreversible developmental damage in children, and turns ordinary illnesses into life-threatening conditions.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reported that nearly one in three children in Gaza City is now malnourished. Aid groups say the figures expose the devastating human impact of Israel’s siege, which has left civilians facing a choice between starvation and bombardment.

Despite mounting international concern, Israel has pressed ahead with its offensive, defending its actions as part of its campaign against Hamas.

Yet for the civilian population of Gaza—families sheltering in tents, parents queuing for food that never arrives, and children wasting away from hunger—the costs are increasingly borne in lives lost to both bombs and famine.