Gaza Crisis Deepens: UN Warnings, Child Death Toll Skyrockets, and Cultural Boycott Grows

Gaza Crisis Deepens: UN Warnings, Child Death Toll Skyrockets, and Cultural Boycott Grows
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The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is escalating on multiple fronts. The UN warns that a man-made famine could be reversed with political will, while child fatalities continue at a staggering pace. Meanwhile, cultural leaders globally are taking a stand against institutions deemed complicit in the violence, Anadolu Agency reported.

UNRWA stated that famine in Gaza is “man-made” and emphasized that reversing it requires only political resolve and the lifting of restrictions on UNRWA aid deliveries, currently banned by Israeli authorities. The agency urged immediate action to avert further disaster.

Child mortality from the conflict is equally alarming. Save the Children reports that over the past 23 months, more than 20,000 Palestinian children—equivalent to one child killed every hour—have perished. In addition, tens of thousands are injured, disabled, or missing in the rubble.

Against this backdrop, over 1,300 filmmakers and actors worldwide—including Oscar and BAFTA winners—have pledged to boycott Israeli film institutions they consider “implicated in genocide and apartheid.” The pledge, launched by Film Workers for Palestine, echoes the cultural boycott movements of the apartheid era, targeting organizations rather than individuals.