Israel has long restricted aid to Gaza on the argument that Hamas steals it to use as a weapon of control over the population. On Saturday, the Israeli military announced new airdrops of aid.

Two senior Israeli army officers have told The New York Times there is no evidence that Hamas looted UN humanitarian aid in Gaza, undermining a central Israeli justification for severely restricting food deliveries to over two million people and driving the population towards famine.

Ten Palestinians died due to famine and malnutrition over the past 24 hours, according to a statement from the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health on Wednesday. More than 70 children have died from malnutrition in Gaza since the beginning of the year, according to the WHO.