Mughrabi UNITED NATIONS/GENEVA/CAIRO (Reuters) -A worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding in Gaza and immediate action is needed to avoid widespread death, a hunger monitor warned on Tuesday, as the number of Palestinians reported killed in the conflict crossed the 60,

Over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in the 21-month Israel-Hamas war, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Tuesday. At least 77 were killed over the past 24 hours, most while seeking food.

The United Nations has condemned airdrops on Gaza, amid the rapidly deteriorating starvation crisis as Israel continues to block aid into the territory. Hunger has reached catastrophic levels, and nearly half a million are now people facing famine-like conditions, as a third of the Gaza population are being forced to go without food.

Famine conditions in Gaza are worsening as time runs out to mount a full-scale humanitarian response, United Nations agencies warned, amid growing international outcry over the crisis.

United Nations held a summit to push for Palestinian statehood as Gaza war raged on and global pressure mounted.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes killed at least 36 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Monday, including a pregnant woman and her newborn, local health officials said. Israel meanwhile eased some aid restrictions as it came under mounting pressure over the spiraling hunger crisis in the war-ravaged territory.

A pair of leading Israeli human rights groups has accused Israel of “committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza,” becoming the first such organizations to make the claim.

The Israeli government is defending a top military officer who dismissed images of starving Palestinians as “fake” over the weekend, despite President Trump stating Monday that he believes the pictures are real.