MSF accuses Israel of manufacturing a malnutrition crisis in Gaza

Doctors Without Borders said it identified its first cases of child malnutrition in January 2024, just three months into Israel’s assault.Israel has manufactured a malnutrition crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip by restricting deliveries of food and aid, causing severe harm to pregnant women and newborns, according to medical charity Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF.MSF said in an analysis of medical data published on Thursday that Israel’s severe restrictions on supplies of essential goods and its attacks on civilian infrastructure had led to rising levels of malnutrition among pregnant women, increasing the likelihood of premature births.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Israeli strikes kill five Palestinians across Gaza in one daylist 2 of 3Son of top Hamas official killed in Israeli attack on Gazalist 3 of 3The Gaza journalist killed on the day his daughter was bornend of listThe charity also found higher mortality rates among babies born to mothers affected by malnutrition.The MSF analysis is based on incidents that occurred at four health facilities in Gaza that were either administered or supported by MSF between late 2024 and early 2026.The charity said malnutrition was almost non-existent before Israel launched its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023, which has killed more than 72,500 people, and that the extremely poor conditions in the enclave were a direct result of Israel’s actions.“The malnutrition crisis is entirely manufactured. Before the war, malnutrition in Gaza was almost non-existent. For 2.5 years, the systematic blockade to humanitarian aid and commercial goods on top of insecurity have severely restricted access to food and clean water,” said Merce Rocaspana, MSF’s medical referent for emergencies.“Healthcare facilities have been forced out of service, and living conditions have profoundly deteriorated. As a result, vulnerable groups of people are placed at heightened risk of malnutrition,” she said.According to the analysed data, more than half of the women cared for at two hospitals suffered from malnutrition during their pregnancy between June 2025 and January 2026, while 25 percent remained malnourished at the time of delivery.