• 4,237 children, among a total of 10,328 Palestinians, have lost their lives due to ongoing Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.
• A group of Palestinian children held a conference calling for protection of their people and demanding help for the infants in their incubators which are at risk due to lack of fuel supplies and airstrikes on hospitals.
Gaza’s youngest residents continue to bear the brunt of the ongoing conflict, with devastating consequences. A Palestinian paramedic recently exposed a heart breaking reality to the world while cradling a one-month-old baby in his arms, tragically declaring, “This baby is not sleeping, he’s dead!” and asking “Where are the rights of human beings?”. The innocent infant was among the victims of a deadly Israeli airstrike that targeted their home in Gaza, taking the lives of the child and the baby’s mother. The paramedic’s poignant message is a reminder of the cruelly rising death toll of children in Palestine.
The death toll of children In Gaza has reached alarming levels, with statistics revealing a grim reality. At least 4,237 children, among a total of 10,328 Palestinians, have lost their lives due to ongoing Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. In the past few hours alone, 133 children were among the 548 Palestinians killed. The situation on the ground is dire, with approximately 2,450 people, including 1,350 children, still trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings. Tragically, 70% of the victims are children, women, and the elderly.
The healthcare system in Gaza is dreadful with 192 health personnel and 46 Palestinian journalists among the casualties. Eighteen hospitals and 40 health centers have been rendered inoperative due to targeting and fuel shortages, leaving the wounded without adequate care. The crisis extends to the most vulnerable members of the community, with over 130 Palestinian babies in incubators at risk as Israel continues to cut off fuel supplies, endangering their lives. Countless videos of children separated from their families, injured, and begging for someone to pick them up are also being massively circulated on social media platforms.
Amid these dire circumstances, a group of children from Gaza held a press conference to make their voices heard. They shared their harrowing experiences, saying, “Since 7th October, extermination, killing, bombing, all of this is in front of the world. They lie to the world that they kill the parties but they kill the children of Gaza and their future” says the young boy in the conference. The children then said that they came to the hospital to keep themselves away from bombing but suddenly theyencountered death after the bombing of the hospital. The child speaker continues, “The occupation is starving us. We don’t find water or food, and we drink from non-usable water. We come now to shout and invite you to protect us. We want to live. We want peace. We want medicine, food, and education, and we want to live as the children live”.
Children holding a press conference in Gaza
Their plea is a cry for help and a call to action for humanity. As the world watches the escalating human tragedy, the children of Gaza emphasize that they want to live in peace, with access to necessities, and an opportunity to build a better future.
