WNAM MONITORING: Children in the Gaza Strip continued to suffer from an ongoing Israeli assault, depriving them of food and water by obstructing critical humanitarian needs, as well as their basic rights such as education, and inflicting widespread humanitarian tragedy as the world marked Palestinian Children’s Day on Saturday, which is observed every year on April 5.
While children elsewhere prepare school bags each morning, thousands of children in Gaza wake up to the sound of explosions, scenes of destruction, and alerts to evacuate their homes, if they still have one.
Many children, instead of finding comfort in the arms of their parents, are now orphans.
According to rights and statistical reports, tens of thousands of children in Gaza have lost one or both parents since Israel launched its genocidal war on Oct. 7, 2023.
Palestinian authorities report that children and women make up over 60% of the casualties from the ongoing attacks. Children under 18 account for 43% of Palestine’s population of 5.5 million, with 2.1 million residing in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
The war has impacted children of all ages, from fetuses in their mother’s wombs to premature infants in incubators and children under the age of one.
The Statistics Bureau reported that 17,954 children have been killed since the start of the war, including 274 infants. Another 876 children under one year of age were also killed.
On April 1, UNICEF reported that 322 children were killed and 609 injured since Israel resumed its offensive following its shattering of the ceasefire on March 18.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stated that children were forced back into a deadly cycle of violence and urged all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law.
Premature infants killed
The Israeli army stormed al-Nasr Children’s Hospital in Gaza City and forced medical staff to evacuate on Nov. 10, 2023, killing five babies whose bodies were later found decomposing in incubators after the army withdrew.
Children have also been deprived of shelter, food, and water. Israel’s blockade has prevented the entry of essential supplies, resulting in widespread hunger.
According to Palestinian officials, 52 children have died from starvation or malnutrition. Around 3,500 more are at risk of death due to hunger and lack of access to food.
The destruction of over 88% of Gaza’s infrastructure, including homes, has left families exposed to freezing winter temperatures. At least 17 children died from cold-related causes while living in makeshift tents.
Loss of education, mobility
The right to education has been largely erased. Schools reopened briefly during a temporary ceasefire but were quickly shut again when Israel resumed its brutal attacks.
The war has also left thousands of children permanently disabled. Jordan’s King Abdullah II stated on March 2 that Gaza now has the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini described the situation as a “pandemic of disabilities,” with many children undergoing amputations without anesthesia.
Gaza’s media office reported on March 23 that 4,700 Palestinians have undergone amputations during the war, 18% of them children.
Orphaned generation
More than 39,000 children have lost at least one parent, and around 17,000 are now without both, according to official data. Many live in torn tents or among the rubble of their destroyed homes without access to social care or psychological support.
In February 2024, Jonathan Crickx of UNICEF said, “Each child has a heartbreaking story.”
Separated from their parents by death or arrest, many children have been forced to become heads of their families, securing food and basic necessities on their own. Hundreds have turned to child labor as a result.
On March 16, UNICEF warned that Gaza’s children are experiencing extreme fear, anxiety, and trauma.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher stated on Jan. 24 that “one million children are in need of mental health and psychosocial support for depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.”
“Children have been killed, starved, and frozen to death. A generation has been traumatized,” he told the UN Security Council.
