Tel Aviv: In the midst of acute food shortages brought on by the Israeli military’s punishing embargo on any assistance entering the war-torn region, the UN’s humanitarian affairs agency (OCHA) provided an update on the situation in Gaza on Thursday, according to Al Jazeera.

OCHA reports that 3,696 Palestinian children were treated for acute malnutrition in March, a sharp rise from 2,027 who were admitted in February, according to Al Jazeera.

“Food consumption in Gaza has sharply deteriorated due to the blockade on the entry of humanitarian aid and other critical supplies now in its seventh week,” said OCHA. “Consumption of key food groups—such as meat, poultry, dairy, vegetables, and fruits—remains critically low,” it said.

In Gaza, a grave survival crisis with far-reaching public health and protection effects is being exacerbated by a lack of water. Although access to potable water has become dangerously restricted, water is necessary for life, according to the OCHA study.

Adam Boehler, the US special envoy for hostage matters, told Al Jazeera that a ceasefire in Gaza won’t be feasible until all of the hostages that Hamas is holding in the Palestinian territory are freed.

Boehler’s remarks coincide with ongoing ceasefire talks and the Israeli military’s fierce, renewed assault on Gaza. The ambassador stressed that any long-term agreement cannot be reached unless Hamas releases the remaining prisoners.

At least 35 Palestinians have died as a result of Israeli raids on Gaza since early Wednesday, according to medical sources who spoke to Al Jazeera, and additional horrific attacks have been recorded in the last few hours.

Since Israel breached the truce with Hamas on March 18, an estimated 500,000 people have been “newly displaced or uprooted once more” in Gaza, according to the UN.

The “policy is clear” for Israel, according to Defense Minister Israel Katz, and blocking any humanitarian supplies from Gaza is a “tool” to put pressure on Hamas.

Since Israel’s assault on Gaza started eighteen months ago, at least 51,025 Palestinians have been proven killed and 116,432 injured, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Thousands of Palestinians who went missing under the debris are thought to be dead, according to the Gaza Government Media Office, which increased its death toll to nearly 61,700. Al Jazeera reports that during the October 7, 2023, assaults in Israel, which were led by Hamas, at least 1,139 people were murdered and almost 200 were captured.