World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has urged Israel to stop the “catastrophe” of people starving to death in Gaza, saying at least 370 people have died from malnutrition since the conflict began, Al Jazeera reports.

“This is a catastrophe that Israel could have prevented and could stop at any time,” Ghebreyesus told reporters.

“Starvation of civilians as a method of war is a war crime that can never be tolerated: doing so in one conflict risks legitimising its use in future conflicts,” he said.

The health ministry in Gaza has reported 373 people, including 134 children, have died from starvation and malnutrition in the besieged Palestinian territory since the offensive began in October 2023. Tedros repeated the number and said it included “more than 300 just in the past two months”.

“People are starving to death while the food that could save them sits on trucks a short distance away. The most intolerable part of this man-made disaster is that it could be stopped right now.”