'Catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions' for thousands of children in Gaza

 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meeting with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani

Thousands of children in Gaza are malnourished according to the World Health Organisation. Credit: AAP

Thousands of children in Gaza are malnourished according to the World Health Organisation. The latest figures come as a United Nations inquiry finds both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes in the early stages of the Gaza war.


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Catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions.

That's how the head of the World Health Organisation describes what is happening to thousands of Palestinian children in Gaza who have been diagnosed with malnutrition.

It comes as Israel continues to severely restrict supplies of food, water, medicine and fuel to the territory.

In January, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to ensure the delivery of basic services and essential humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.

The WHO also warns of an escalating health crisis in the West Bank, where attacks on healthcare and restrictions on movement of people are obstructing access to health services.

WHO Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, says the situation in Gaza is dire.

"Despite reports of increased delivery of food, there is currently no evidence that those who need it most are receiving sufficient quantity and quality of food. WHO and our partners have scaled up nutrition services. Over 8,000 children under five years old have been diagnosed and treated for acute malnutrition, including 1,600 children with severe acute malnutrition."

A United Nations inquiry has concluded that both Israel and Hamas had committed war crimes early in the Gaza war, and that Israel's actions also constituted crimes against humanity because of the immense civilian losses.

The UN Commission of Inquiry produced two parallel reports, one focusing on the October 7 attacks and another on Israel's response.

Hamas did not immediately comment.

Israel, which did not co-operate, dismissed the findings as the result of anti-Israeli bias.

The reports comes as relatives of Israeli hostages and other demonstrators continue to gather in Tel Aviv demanding the Israeli government accept a deal to release those taken by Hamas on October 7.

Nimrod Shachar says the Israeli government needs to change course.

"We have the same deal on the table since, I guess, the beginning, at least for a few months the same deal, the same terms. Mr Netanyahu must get, to be, to gain some courage and to insist that he is going to retrieve (release) all the hostages, every one of them. All the 120 hostages. And if, in order to return them we need to stop the war and have a ceasefire, ok, let's have it."

Cabinet Minister Ed Husic says he welcomes the release of Israeli hostages but the killing of more than 270 Palestinians to rescue the Israeli hostages in a recent operation is a tragedy.

Minister Husic has raised concerns about "a systemic failure" by Israel and its military to observe humanitarian law and the protection of innocent lives.

Minister Husic told the ABC he's concerned about the loss of civilian life.

"The fact that you had so many people killed in that operation speaks to a broader thing, as well, of the way in which as I've said previously, the Israeli government is observing international humanitarian law and being able to distinguish between combatant and civilian. I've said that, you know, weeks ago that that was my concern that there was a systemic failure to observe international humanitarian law."

The release of report into war crimes on both sides comes as diplomats continue to call for the latest ceasefire deal to be implemented.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said Israel will not commit to end its campaign before Hamas is eliminated.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken says some changes proposed by Hamas to the Gaza ceasefire deal are not workable.

The deal, as outlined by US President Joe Biden, sets out conditions for a "full and complete ceasefire", the release of hostages held by Hamas, the return of dead hostages' remains and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners.

Speaking in Doha after meeting with Qatar's Prime Minister , Mr Blinken says he wants to see a resolution.

"Look, Israel accepted the proposal - as it was and as it is. Hamas didn't. So I think it is pretty clear what needs to happen. We are determined in coming days to - again - try work this. We will work this with urgency and see if the gaps that are workable - we can actually work and bring it to conclusion."

Qatar's Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, says Qatar - in its role as a mediator - wants a permanent ceasefire.

"United States, Qatar and Egypt as guarantor for this process to ensure these negotiations keeps going until we reach the permanent ceasefire - it is something significant that we are putting ourselves at stake. It is not an easy process. It is a very complex negotiation."

The war between Hamas and Israel is the latest escalation in a long-standing conflict.

More than 1,200 people were killed and over 250 taken hostage by Hamas on 7 October, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's retaliatory air, ground and sea assault on Gaza has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

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