TEHRAN – The United Nations has accused the Israeli regime of “weaponizing hunger” in Gaza as the death toll rises.

So far just over 460 people have been killed by Israeli occupation forces while trying to get food and water.

Jonathan Whittall, who leads the UN’s Humanitarian Coordination Office (OCHA) in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, has issued a strong warning about the growing humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

Speaking in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, Whittall warned that the situation is spiraling out of control in the besieged enclave and the attempt to survive is being “met with a death sentence.”

Whittall explained that since the Israeli occupation regime loosened its complete blockade last month, over 400 people have been killed while trying to reach food aid locations.

He said many of these areas are under military control and extremely dangerous.

“We see a chilling pattern of Israeli forces opening fire on crowds gathering to get food,” he warned. Others, he added, have been killed on the roads or while helping to escort aid convoys.

“It shouldn’t be this way,” he emphasized.

“There shouldn’t be a death toll associated with accessing the essentials for life.”

Conditions across Gaza continue to worsen. Water wells have either dried up or are located in areas too dangerous to reach. The sanitation system has collapsed, and the spread of disease is increasing rapidly.

“Our warehouses stand empty,” Whittall said. “Displaced families flee with nothing – and we have nothing to give them.”

Hospitals that are still operating are overwhelmed by constant mass casualty events. Some have been damaged by strikes, while others are running out of fuel or facing forced evacuations.

According to UNICEF, more than 110 children are being treated for malnutrition every day. Whittall said that humanitarian groups have the ability to reach everyone in Gaza, but they are being blocked by Israeli occupation forces at every turn.

“We have a plan,” he said, “but we are prevented from doing so at every turn.”

He described the situation in Gaza as “weaponized hunger, forced displacement,” and “a death sentence for people just trying to survive.”

“This is carnage,” he said. “It appears to be the erasure of Palestinian life from Gaza.”

International organizations, including prominent human rights organizations, have long concluded that the Israeli regime is pursuing genocide against the Palestinian population in Gaza.

Whittall urged the international community to take action immediately. “We need a lasting ceasefire, accountability, and real pressure to stop this,” he underlined while adding that “this is the bare minimum.”

On Monday, the Gaza Ministry of Health announced its daily figures for casualties in Gaza as a result of the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide.

“39 martyrs (one recovered) and 317 injuries arrived at Gaza Strip hospitals over the past 24 hours,” the ministry said.

It added, “The martyrdom toll and injuries since March 18, 2025 has reached 5,685 martyrs and 19,518 injuries.”

These number of casualties followed after the occupation forces resumed the genocide after unilaterally ending a ceasefire agreement.

The ministry added that "the total number of ‘aid martyrs’ who arrived at hospitals in the last 24 hours is 17, and more than 136 injuries, as the total number of aid martyrs who arrived at hospitals from the areas designated for distributing aid reached 467 and more than 3,602 injuries.”