Evacuated Palestinian Woman Dies in Italy Amid Gaza Malnutrition Crisis

A 20-year-old Palestinian woman, identified by Italian media as Marah Abu Zuhri, has died at Pisa University Hospital after being evacuated from Gaza in a state of severe physical deterioration. She arrived in Italy on Wednesday night and passed away on Friday following a respiratory crisis and cardiac arrest. Hospital staff had initiated supportive therapy but were unable to save her.

Marah was among nearly 120 Gazans, including 31 patients and their families, flown to Italy on a humanitarian mission—Italy’s 14th such operation since January 2024 and the largest yet, according to Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

Her condition reflects the broader humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the U.N. reports record levels of starvation and malnutrition, including over 12,000 acutely malnourished children under 5. Despite these warnings, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied there is a hunger crisis, claiming reports of starvation are fabrications by Hamas.

The U.N. documents over 12,000 cases of acute malnutrition among children under five in July alone, with 2,500 being severe. Although Israel recently tripled humanitarian aid inflow, experts like Alex DeWaal argue that children already suffering from severe malnutrition require immediate hospital care, not just regular food assistance. Aid delivery remains hampered by ongoing military operations and displacement, and Israel’s earlier blockade completely halted essential supplies for over two months.

Doctors stress that while some affected children have conditions like rickets, such illnesses become fatal only when compounded by systemic malnutrition. A few severely ill children, like 2-year-old Shamm Qudeih, have recently been allowed to leave Gaza for treatment. However, many others, like Ro’a, succumb after months of insufficient aid access and repeated displacement.