Israeli-imposed famine in Gaza is causing miscarriages in pregnant women and deaths in premature babies.

The bodies of four fetuses and three premature babies in the morgue of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, highlight the tragedy suffered by Palestinians, as Israel's strict blockade systematically deprives both babies and mothers of food, medicine and adequate care.

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A Palestinian health official warned that the situation was a dangerous indicator of the rising number of deaths from malnutrition and miscarriages among pregnant women due to Israel's starvation policy.

Thousands of people, including women and children, have been suffering from hunger and malnutrition in the Gaza Strip since Israel tightened its blockade in March, according to data from the Gaza Ministry of Health.

While Israel allows small amounts of humanitarian aid into Gaza that do not meet the needs and are not enough to end the famine, Gaza officials say that Israeli-backed gangs are looting this aid.

Palestinians who lost their homes and livelihoods in Gaza say that stolen humanitarian aid is being sold and they cannot afford to buy it.

Since October 7, 2023, 440 Palestinians, including 147 children, have died of starvation in the Gaza Strip.

It is thought that the increase in the number of people who died of starvation in Gaza recently has approached 400 percent.

Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, Director of the Pediatrics and Obstetrics Department at Nasser Medical Center, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the hospital has recently seen an increase in miscarriages and stillbirths due to malnutrition among mothers as a result of Israel's hunger policy.

Farra said that most mothers who miscarry suffer from anemia due to malnutrition, adding that 70 percent of the 55,000 pregnant women in Gaza are struggling with anemia.

Farra emphasized that the ongoing Israeli genocide and the harsh conditions brought on by constant displacement negatively impact pregnant women's psychological well-being, are linked to malnutrition, and this, in turn, increases the risk of miscarriage.

Farra, who stated that a woman suffering from extreme fatigue due to being displaced from Gaza City under tragic circumstances last week was brought to the hospital, said the Palestinian woman had a miscarriage in the seventh month of her pregnancy.

Farra said that due to Israel's border closures and difficulties accessing hospitals, pregnant women are experiencing nutritional supplement and vitamin deficiencies that increase the risk of miscarriage.

A Palestinian doctor has warned of a possible increase in malnutrition and starvation deaths in September as Israel tightens its restrictions on aid entry.

Farra reminded that deaths from hunger doubled in August, stressing that the increase is expected to continue in September, and that the aid provided only meets 10 percent of the need and does not include protein and dairy products.

Farra said that before Israel closed its border crossings, there were between 20 and 30 malnutrition cases brought to hospital, and that number has now risen to between 120 and 140 per day.

Farra, noting that patients at Nasser Hospital are being left in corridors due to overcrowding, said that conditions at the hospital have reached "disaster levels."

Lying on a floor mattress in Nasser Hospital, Qasim Zennun, his emaciated body, is just one of the Palestinian children stricken by malnutrition.

Kasım's mother said that her child suffered from protein deficiency, muscle loss, growth retardation and dysfunction in many vital organs due to malnutrition.

The Palestinian woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said doctors had diagnosed her child with a wheat allergy, and that this, along with malnutrition and a lack of medication, had worsened Qasim's health.

"My child needs a special food for those with wheat allergies, it's not available anywhere," Qassim's mother said, referring to the Israeli blockade.

The Palestinian mother, noting that Qasim's sister had also died after exhibiting similar symptoms, called for her child, for whom she feared for her life, to be taken out of Gaza so that she could receive treatment.

Erguvan al-Dehini, a 4-year-old Palestinian girl staying in Nasser Hospital, has lost 5 kilograms of weight due to severe malnutrition.

Erguvan's mother, Hanin Abu Advan, said her daughter suffered from problems such as protein and potassium deficiency and kidney failure due to malnutrition.

The Palestinian mother explained that she had been coming to the hospital for 1.5 years to improve her daughter's health, but had not received any results.

"Even though he is 4 years old, he cannot walk, he cannot talk, his weight is not increasing; his development has completely stopped," Abu Advan said.

Abu Advan said that his daughter had recently experienced skin peeling that resembled a burn on her body, but that no diagnosis had been made yet.

A Palestinian mother called for her daughter to receive treatment outside Gaza, lamenting: "We're going to wait for her to die."

The Gaza Strip, under Israeli attacks and a tight blockade restricting the entry of humanitarian aid, is experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe, with widespread hunger and a lack of water, medicine, medical supplies and hygiene materials.

Deaths from hunger, especially among children, are rising in the Gaza Strip. Local and international circles are warning that Israel is using "hunger and thirst as weapons."

The Israeli army, which has destroyed 90 percent of Gaza by also destroying civilian infrastructure, frequently targets Palestinians displaced by deportation orders in the areas where they are sheltering.

It is reported that the number of people displaced by Israeli attacks and deportation orders in Gaza, which has a population of approximately 2.3 million, has reached 2 million, and many people have been displaced multiple times.

Deprived of basic supplies, displaced Palestinians struggle to survive in makeshift tents or in overcrowded schools where hygiene supplies are scarce, sinks inadequate, and infectious diseases are rampant.

United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) spokesperson Tess Ingram told Anadolu Agency (AA) that there was a risk of the famine confirmed in Gaza spreading, describing the situation in the region, where families are desperate to find food for their children, as "a complete disaster."

"(The famine) risks spreading to the central Gaza Strip within a few weeks if the situation doesn't change. Families are desperate for food and water. I've had parents hold my hands and cry, asking, 'When will the food come? Will my child survive until then?'" Ingram said.

The Israeli army, on the other hand, is bombing the tents of the displaced and the civilian shelters they shelter in with daily attacks.

At least 65,174 Palestinians have been killed and 166,071 injured in Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.