Gaza's starving kids forced to eat animal feed and watch dogs feast on dead bodies
Gazan children lose their innocence witnessing the awful horrors of war, including being so hungry they are forced to eat animal feed and witness ravenous dogs eating dead bodies
At least 65,000 of Gaza's starving children have been taken to hospital suffering with severe malnutrition, local health chiefs claim. It comes after five Palestinian children were killed, among 60 adults who died from Israeli strikes just in the past 48 hours, sparking widespread fears of an escalation in the war.
On Tuesday a further 20 or more Palestinians died from Israeli airstrikes as the war against Hamas stepped up, sparking more death fears. The five killed were children hit by an Israeli strike on a Gaza City street on Monday and locals reported fresh attacks on targets within the enclave.
Heart-rending testimony from within Gaza, secured by Save the Children, shows the horrific reality of families facing the nightmare struggle of trying to feed their children.
Malnutrition has become severe after almost two months of an Israeli aid blockade on the Strip, barring water, food and medical supplies. But children are increasingly forced to beg for food, risk being crushed at local-run food distribution stations within the stricken enclave - or resort to eating animal food.
One Gaza mother-of-four Samah has three daughters, aged seven, six, two and a six month baby boy, all of whom have witnessed the horrors of war. She is one of 50,000 pregnant women who gave birth during the conflict and her newborn faced starvation immediately. Samah's north Gaza home is demolished. But her struggles have soared since Israel blocked all aid into Gaza from March 2.
Her children have witnessed decomposed bodies being eaten by dogs and as a result, they have nightmares, suffering from involuntary urination. Fortunately Save The Children recently gave her a baby kit distribution where she received products essential for her boy's hygiene.
These include valuable basics such as wipes, diapers, face masks and nappy cream. But none of this can shield them from the conflict. She says: 'Our life is not suitable for a human. The area where we live all of it is rubble. There is no water in the area. God only knows how we're living there.
'Every morning I keep thinking I woke up from a bad dream, but it's not a dream. It's our reality.My children suffered a lot. They lived through horrors. It was terror after terror. And just when you think it can't get worse, it got worse.
'My daughters became familiar with the sight of blood. They watched corpses being savagely eaten by dogs. They watched people lose their limbs. They still have nightmares.'
'Each time we were displaced, we had to leave things behind. We were literally running for our lives. The fear that my daughters lived through they were so scared, they're now suffering from involuntary urination. We ate things in Gaza that no other human would eat. We ate animal feed, we ate barley.
'Our children ate this. It's either that or we starve to death. Gaza is no place for any human to live, but we want to stay in our land, and we want to rebuild it.'
Mother-of-seven Mariem has six daughters aged 13, 12, 11, 6, 5, 3 and a baby boy born during the war. Her experience giving birth in the midst of the violence was so traumatic, she had a postpartum hemorrhage and needed seven pints of blood.
Her baby was malnourished two months after being born and she was able to access Save the Children's nutrition programme so he received recovery treatment. Meriem also cares for her husband who is blind in one eye and unable to work as a result of being injured during the war.
They have been displaced repeatedly and, their home destroyed, they now live in a tent. The family has received a baby kit from Save the Children and she told the charity's representative Shaima Al-Obaidi: 'We had no food. We couldn't find anything, and two months from when he was born, he became malnourished. I was watching all of my children wasting away and I was helpless. I couldn't do anything for them.
'Every day was painful, every day was a struggle, every day I would fear that my children would die. Any mother would relate to this when you have children, they are your life, they're everything. I would do anything for my children.
'I was displaced multiple times, and I was pregnant, and I had six small children. They had no stability, and it felt like every day, someone we knew had died. We are waiting our turn to die.
'We were escaping the bombs so we wouldn't die, but I swear, death was on our doorstep wherever we went. We were starving. I cannot tell you what that feels like. You should consider me a woman who has a chain around her neck and I'm trying my best to breathe. I'm choking most of the time.'
The child severe malnutrition victims are among a total of around 1.1million children in Gaza suffering from daily hunger caused by food shortages. Gaza's media office - the GMO - said: 'Israel uses starvation and deprivation as a systematic weapon of war against civilians, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.
'The blockade and the ongoing closure of crossings have led to a catastrophic deterioration in health conditions and the spread of severe malnutrition, especially among children and infants.' The GMO statement said: 'We welcome the International Court of Justice's confirmation that the Israeli occupation violates international law through its occupation of Palestinian territories and undermines the rights of our Palestinian people.'
War in Gaza has killed at least 52,365 Palestinians and wounded 117,905 others, according to the enclave's Health Ministry. An estimated 1,200 people were killed in Israel during Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, and more than 200 were taken captive. A study by the Associated Foreign Press counted 37 minors among the dead, including two babies.
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North Wales Chronicle
9 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
14 dead after ‘Israeli forces and allies fired at crowd near Gaza aid site'
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A GHF spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. – Shots fired from the 'dangerous zone' Heba Joda, who was in the crowd Monday, said gunfire broke out at a roundabout where previous shootings have occurred, around a kilometre (half a mile) from the aid site. She said the shots came from the 'dangerous zone' where Israeli troops and their allies are stationed. She said she saw men from a local militia led by Yasser Abu Shabab trying to organise the crowds into lines on the road. When people pushed forward, the gunmen opened fire. People then hurled stones at them, forcing them to withdraw toward the Israeli positions, she said. The Abu Shabab group, which calls itself the Popular Forces, says it is guarding the surroundings of the GHF centres in southern Gaza. Aid workers say it has a long history of looting UN aid trucks. GHF has said it does not work with the Abu Shabab group. Hussein Shamimi, who was also in the crowd, said his 14-year-old cousin was among those killed. 'There was an ambush… the Israelis from one side and Abu Shabab from another,' he said. Mohamed Kabaga, a Palestinian displaced from northern Gaza, said he saw masked men firing toward the crowds after trying to organise them. 'They fired at us directly,' he said while being treated at Nasser Hospital, in the nearby city of Khan Younis. He had been shot in the neck, as were three other people seen by an Associated Press journalist at the hospital. Mr Kabaga said he saw around 50 masked men with 4×4 vehicles in the area around the roundabout, close to Israeli military lines. 'We didn't receive anything,' he said. 'They shot us.' Nasser Hospital said several men had been shot in the upper body, including some in the head. 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Glasgow Times
11 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
14 dead after ‘Israeli forces and allies fired at crowd near Gaza aid site'
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Experts have meanwhile warned that Israel's blockade and its ongoing military campaign have put Gaza at risk of famine. Palestinians say Israeli forces have repeatedly fired toward crowds heading to the food centres since they opened last month. In previous instances, the Israeli military has said it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces near the centres, which are in military zones off limits to independent media. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the Israeli and US supported private contractor running the sites, says there has been no violence in or around the centres themselves. But GHF repeatedly warns would-be food recipients that stepping off the road designated by the military for people to reach the centres represents 'a great danger'. Palestinians carry bags containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) It paused delivery at its three distribution sites last week to hold discussions with the military about improving safety on the routes. GHF closed the Rafah site on Monday due to the 'chaos of the crowds', according to a Facebook site associated with the group. A GHF spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. – Shots fired from the 'dangerous zone' Heba Joda, who was in the crowd Monday, said gunfire broke out at a roundabout where previous shootings have occurred, around a kilometre (half a mile) from the aid site. She said the shots came from the 'dangerous zone' where Israeli troops and their allies are stationed. She said she saw men from a local militia led by Yasser Abu Shabab trying to organise the crowds into lines on the road. When people pushed forward, the gunmen opened fire. People then hurled stones at them, forcing them to withdraw toward the Israeli positions, she said. The Abu Shabab group, which calls itself the Popular Forces, says it is guarding the surroundings of the GHF centres in southern Gaza. Aid workers say it has a long history of looting UN aid trucks. GHF has said it does not work with the Abu Shabab group. Hussein Shamimi, who was also in the crowd, said his 14-year-old cousin was among those killed. 'There was an ambush… the Israelis from one side and Abu Shabab from another,' he said. Mohamed Kabaga, a Palestinian displaced from northern Gaza, said he saw masked men firing toward the crowds after trying to organise them. 'They fired at us directly,' he said while being treated at Nasser Hospital, in the nearby city of Khan Younis. He had been shot in the neck, as were three other people seen by an Associated Press journalist at the hospital. Mr Kabaga said he saw around 50 masked men with 4×4 vehicles in the area around the roundabout, close to Israeli military lines. 'We didn't receive anything,' he said. 'They shot us.' Nasser Hospital said several men had been shot in the upper body, including some in the head. Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Health Ministry's records department, said six people were killed and more than 99 wounded, some of them at another GHF centre in central Gaza. – The 20-month war rages on The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. They are still holding 55 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's military campaign has killed over 54,900 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up most of the dead. It does not say how many of those killed were civilians or combatants. The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza, displaced some 90% of the population and left the territory almost completely reliant on international aid. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. Israel says it will continue the war until all the captives are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that even then, Israel will maintain open-ended control over Gaza and facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of its population to other countries, a plan rejected by most of the international community, including the Palestinians, who view it as a blueprint for their forcible expulsion.
Leader Live
11 hours ago
- Leader Live
14 dead after ‘Israeli forces and allies fired at crowd near Gaza aid site'
Gaza's Health Ministry and local hospitals said 14 people were killed in the reported attack early on Monday. The gunmen appeared to be allied with the Israeli military, operating in close proximity to troops and retreating into an Israeli military zone in the southern city of Rafah after the crowd hurled stones at them, witnesses said. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel recently acknowledged supporting local armed groups opposed to Hamas. – The latest in a string of shootings It was the latest in a number of shootings that have killed at least 127 people and wounded hundreds since the rollout of a new food distribution system, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Israel and the US say the new system is designed to circumvent Hamas, but it has been rejected by the UN and major aid groups. Experts have meanwhile warned that Israel's blockade and its ongoing military campaign have put Gaza at risk of famine. Palestinians say Israeli forces have repeatedly fired toward crowds heading to the food centres since they opened last month. In previous instances, the Israeli military has said it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces near the centres, which are in military zones off limits to independent media. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the Israeli and US supported private contractor running the sites, says there has been no violence in or around the centres themselves. But GHF repeatedly warns would-be food recipients that stepping off the road designated by the military for people to reach the centres represents 'a great danger'. It paused delivery at its three distribution sites last week to hold discussions with the military about improving safety on the routes. GHF closed the Rafah site on Monday due to the 'chaos of the crowds', according to a Facebook site associated with the group. A GHF spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. – Shots fired from the 'dangerous zone' Heba Joda, who was in the crowd Monday, said gunfire broke out at a roundabout where previous shootings have occurred, around a kilometre (half a mile) from the aid site. She said the shots came from the 'dangerous zone' where Israeli troops and their allies are stationed. She said she saw men from a local militia led by Yasser Abu Shabab trying to organise the crowds into lines on the road. When people pushed forward, the gunmen opened fire. People then hurled stones at them, forcing them to withdraw toward the Israeli positions, she said. The Abu Shabab group, which calls itself the Popular Forces, says it is guarding the surroundings of the GHF centres in southern Gaza. Aid workers say it has a long history of looting UN aid trucks. GHF has said it does not work with the Abu Shabab group. Hussein Shamimi, who was also in the crowd, said his 14-year-old cousin was among those killed. 'There was an ambush… the Israelis from one side and Abu Shabab from another,' he said. Mohamed Kabaga, a Palestinian displaced from northern Gaza, said he saw masked men firing toward the crowds after trying to organise them. 'They fired at us directly,' he said while being treated at Nasser Hospital, in the nearby city of Khan Younis. He had been shot in the neck, as were three other people seen by an Associated Press journalist at the hospital. Mr Kabaga said he saw around 50 masked men with 4×4 vehicles in the area around the roundabout, close to Israeli military lines. 'We didn't receive anything,' he said. 'They shot us.' Nasser Hospital said several men had been shot in the upper body, including some in the head. Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Health Ministry's records department, said six people were killed and more than 99 wounded, some of them at another GHF centre in central Gaza. – The 20-month war rages on The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. They are still holding 55 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's military campaign has killed over 54,900 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up most of the dead. It does not say how many of those killed were civilians or combatants. The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza, displaced some 90% of the population and left the territory almost completely reliant on international aid. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. Israel says it will continue the war until all the captives are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that even then, Israel will maintain open-ended control over Gaza and facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of its population to other countries, a plan rejected by most of the international community, including the Palestinians, who view it as a blueprint for their forcible expulsion.
