Medical charity Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, has decried the malnutrition crisis in the Gaza strip, saying that Israel has manufactured a malnutrition crisis in the besieged enclave by restricting deliveries of food and aid.
MSF said in an analysis of medical data 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.
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 that 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.
Merce Rocaspana, MSF’s medical referent for emergencies asserted that the malnutrition crisis is “entirely manufactured,” adding that 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.
“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.”
Merce Rocaspana
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.
Ninety percent of babies born under those conditions were premature, and 84 percent had a low birth weight. According to the World Health Organization, low-birth-weight infants are 20 times more likely to die than heavier babies and face a greater risk of stunted growth and poor cognitive development.
The charity also found higher mortality rates among babies born to mothers affected by malnutrition.
MSF said it identified its first cases of child malnutrition in January 2024, just three months into Israel’s war.
Militarised Aid Distribution
The organisation also said that the food distribution centres set up by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US-and Israel-backed scheme to oversee aid distribution, were “militarised and deadly, barely functioning, or open at the same time, further restricting access to much needed food assistance.”
It said by late May 2025, food distribution points reduced from around 400 to just four under the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). On top of this, the blockade on commercial food trucks drastically limited access to food.
In the months following, MSF-supported facilities experienced a sharp increase in patients seeking care due to violence perpetrated at food distribution points and malnutrition linked to the deprivation of food.
Many women also reported experiencing extreme stress and anxiety related to the significant risks faced by male family members attempting to secure food at GHF sites and intense aerial bombardments and resulting displacement. MSF teams observed a high number of miscarriages during this period, with high stress identified as a contributing factor.
José Mas, Head of the MSF emergency unit, said, “Israel’s tactical restrictions” on the entry of food, the militarisation of aid corridors and distribution sites, and the targeted attacks on Gaza’s essential infrastructure have created an environment in which hunger is deliberately used as a means of control over people.
“While the current so-called ceasefire has seen some stability in the situation, it is still extremely fragile. Our teams continue to admit new patients for malnutrition as the people of Gaza are forced to endure deliberate undignified living conditions, and lack access to assistance, income, and basic resources.
“MSF calls on Israeli authorities, as an occupying power, and allied states, including the US, to facilitate adequate and sustained entry of vital assistance for people living in Gaza to restore respectable levels of health, nutrition, and dignity.”
José Mas
A “ceasefire” has been in place in Gaza since October last year. However, Israel has since seized more territory, leading to accusations that it is not adhering to the truce.
Earlier this week, Israel threatened to resume its assault after Hamas refused to commit to Israel’s demand for full disarmament.
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