Hyderabad, June 29 -- At least 66 Palestinian children have died from acute malnutrition in the Gaza Strip since Israel launched its war and blockade on October 7, 2023, according to Gaza's Government Media Office.

The deaths were attributed to Israel's ongoing closure of border crossings and obstruction of baby formula and nutritional supplements meant for vulnerable groups-particularly infants and the ill, Quds News Network reported.

"This conduct constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity," the office said in a statement, accusing Israel of deliberately using starvation as a weapon to exterminate civilians, in violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.

It described the situation as "an ongoing ...