Dozens of Palestinians gathered outside a makeshift soup kitchen in Gaza City on Friday (August 15), many clutching empty pots in hopes of receiving a portion of rice amid food shortages.

More than 22 months into Israel's military offensive in Gaza, residents have been grappling with a worsening hunger crisis.

Four more people died of starvation and malnutrition in the territory in the 24 hours leading to Thursday (August 14), Gaza's health ministry said on Thursday. That took the total to 239, including 106 children, since the war began, it said.

Israel disputes malnutrition and hunger figures reported by the health ministry in the enclave and denies responsibility for hunger, accusing Hamas of stealing aid, accusations denied by Hamas.

The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel's offensive against Hamas in Gaza since then has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

1. PALESTINIANS GATHERING AT SOUP KITCHEN TO GET FOOD

2. PALESTINIANS HOLDING EMPTY POTS, WAITING TO BE SERVED FOOD

3. MAN POURING RICE INTO PEOPLE'S POTS

4. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE, WITH EMPTY POTS, SCRAMBLING TO GET FOOD

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN MAN, IHAB BALOUCHA, SAYING:

"We come here every day to get some rice for the children, and we wish we could provide it. Here's the pot, it's empty, not filled, nothing at all. Everything is difficult, full of problems, and our situation here is very hard. We need a solution. This situation is not good, what's happening to us is injustice. All people live in safety, but we are the only ones living in terror, fear, humiliation, and famine."

6. MEN CARRYING LARGE POTS OF RICE TO DISTRIBUTE TO PEOPLE

7. BIG POTS OF RICE / PEOPLE WAITING FOR FOOD, HOLDING EMPTY POTS

8. PEOPLE SCRAMBLING, HOLDING POTS / RICE BEING SERVED TO SOME

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN MAN, IHAB BALOUCHA, SAYING:

"Since morning, I haven’t eaten anything. I swear to God I haven’t eaten. Here I am, my pot is still empty. I’m trying to get a grain of rice to eat, and I still haven’t been able to.”

10. VARIOUS OF PALESTINIANS, HOLDING EMPTY POTS, WAITING TO GET FOOD

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN MAN, IHAB BALOUCHA, SAYING:

"Every day they threaten us with ground invasion, and every day they threaten us with displacement. Where do we go? Where do we go? There’s no longer any safe place for us to go to."

12. KIDS STANDING, HOLDING POTS IN THE STREET

13. PEOPLE WALKING IN THE STREET