Palestinian Child Day: The Grim Toll of Killing and Starvation in Gaza
There may no longer be new words to describe Gaza—its resilience in the face of genocide, the steadfastness of its people, its unwavering resistance, deep faith, and immense sacrifices. There may be nothing left to add about the unprecedented Arab abandonment, or the utter failure of the international community—governments, global institutions, and regional bodies alike. Words have become inadequate to capture the horror of the atrocities and the relentless massacres committed by the Zionist enemy in Gaza, with full backing from the United States and Western powers. This support has been enough to expose the true nature of what is called the international order and the global community and to strip away the mask from human rights slogans that now flutter like fig leaves in the wind.
Yet the religious and moral duty upon every honorable and free person remains: to continue documenting and exposing the crimes of this global war on Gaza. These crimes have persisted for over 535 consecutive days, turning life into a nightmare for all—especially the children. Thousands of them have been killed without mercy. Hundreds of thousands live under siege and starvation. Every basic and legitimate right has been stripped from them—education, healthcare, safety, freedom—and above all, the right to life.
According to figures released by Palestinian institutions in Gaza, 274 infants were born and killed under bombardment. Numerous cases have been documented where premature newborns were directly targeted in hospitals—either by lethal strikes or by the deliberate cutting of oxygen supply. As of now, 7,700 infants remain at risk of death due to the collapse of healthcare services. The killers of childhood have shown no mercy, not even to babies in incubators. Even infants under the age of one have not been spared, with nearly 876 of them killed.
Palestinian Child Day, observed annually on April 5, served this year as a painful occasion to highlight the scale of violations against children in Gaza. The statistics released were shocking by all standards. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 17,954 children have been killed during the aggression, including 17 who died from the cold in displacement tents and 52 who perished from hunger and deliberate malnutrition.
The Bureau’s statement further revealed that 39,000 children in Gaza are now orphans, having lost one or both parents in the ongoing criminal assault. Most of Gaza’s children are living in shredded tents or the ruins of destroyed homes, completely deprived of any form of care. As a result of the aggression, 15 children are left with permanent disabilities every day. A total of 7,056 children have sustained serious injuries, including 846 cases of limb amputation.
The humanitarian disaster in Gaza continues to deepen. The surviving children now face the threat of widespread disease. Vaccination coverage for polio has dropped from 99% to 86%. 60,000 children are suffering from acute malnutrition. Thousands more remain missing, while there is still no official data on the number of children from Gaza detained by the enemy since October 7, 2023.
A vast majority of Gaza’s children are now outside the education system. Thousands spend long hours fetching water and food for their families. The aggression has destroyed 111 government schools, and another 241 have been damaged. Additionally, 89 schools run by UNRWA have sustained damage. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, education in Gaza has been suspended for two consecutive academic years—raising alarm about a growing educational gap that threatens the future of an entire generation.