Child death toll in Gaza reaches 16,500, with starvation taking more lives
DaysofPal- The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip has released devastating new figures detailing the toll of Israel's ongoing military campaign, reporting that 16,503 Palestinian children have been killed since October 7, 2023. At the same time, starvation and disease are now claiming additional young lives, compounding what officials describe as a multi-layered humanitarian catastrophe.
In a statement published Thursday via Telegram, the ministry said the child death toll 'reflects the extent of the direct and systematic targeting of the weakest and most innocent segments of society.'
The numbers, drawn from more than seven months of relentless bombardment, are categorized by age: 916 infants under one year, 4,365 children aged 1 to 5, 6,101 aged 6 to 12, and 5,124 teenagers between 13 and 17.
'The tragic figures do not only express innocent lives lost,' the ministry stated, 'but also reflect the magnitude of the humanitarian disaster and the depth of the crime committed against an entire generation that was supposed to be protected, cared for, and educated.'
The statement further accused Israeli forces of turning children into 'targets of airplane missiles and tank shells.'
Just weeks earlier, on May 5, the ministry had reported 16,278 children killed, highlighting a horrifying average of one child killed every 40 minutes. Among them were 908 infants who never saw their first birthday and 311 children who were born and killed during the war.
Starvation deepens the child death toll
While the bombs continue to fall, a second deadly threat is tightening its grip on Gaza's children: starvation. On Thursday, Palestinian Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan revealed that 29 people, mostly children and elderly,have recently died from starvation-related causes, signaling the collapse of Gaza's already devastated health and nutrition infrastructure.
'In the last couple of days we lost 29 children,' Abu Ramadan said, later clarifying that the figure also included elderly victims. His remarks came as Israel allowed the first food aid trucks to enter Gaza in 11 weeks, but aid officials warn that what is arriving is 'just a fraction' of what's needed to prevent further loss of life.
Concerns about the deteriorating situation have been raised by the international community. Aid organizations such as UNICEF and Save the Children report that over 3,100 children under the age of five have already died due to hunger, with many more suffering from severe malnutrition. Some children are reportedly so weak that they have lost the ability to cry.
These deaths are not isolated but part of what health workers describe as a rapidly growing wave of preventable deaths from both hunger and disease.
Adding to the ongoing tragedy, Gaza's civil defense agency reported Thursday that 52 more people were killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes since dawn. Agency official Mohammed Al-Mughayyir stated that dozens more were wounded in the intensified attacks across multiple areas of the besieged Strip.
As of today, the total death toll in Gaza stands at over 53,655, with 121,950 people injured, numbers that continue to rise daily under the weight of bombs, starvation, and international inaction.
Health officials and humanitarian agencies say Gaza is facing not just a military assault but an existential crisis, one that is eliminating its future generation through violence, hunger, and neglect. The Ministry of Health concluded its appeal with a renewed call for urgent international intervention 'to stop the aggression and hold Israeli leaders accountable for crimes against children and unarmed civilians.'
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=63186
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Days of Palestine
14 hours ago
- Days of Palestine
Gaza's Remaining Hospitals Face Total Shutdown in 48 Hours
DaysofPal- The director of Gaza's largest hospital has issued an urgent warning that all remaining hospitals in the besieged territory could completely shut down within 48 hours if fuel is not provided immediately. Dr. Mohammad Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City, declared a state of emergency across healthcare facilities due to the escalating threat posed by the severe fuel shortage and collapsing medical infrastructure. In televised remarks, Dr. Abu Salmiya said the critical shortage of blood supplies and essential medical equipment is preventing doctors from treating the massive number of wounded civilians, forcing medical teams into making heartbreaking decisions. 'We are left with no choice but to prioritize patients in need, knowing that some may not survive, because we simply lack the means to treat them all,' he said. Gaza's healthcare system, already on the brink of total collapse after months of bombardment, has been further crippled by Israel's blockade on fuel and humanitarian supplies. Throughout the ongoing war, now entering its 610th day, Israeli forces have repeatedly targeted hospitals in the Gaza Strip, claiming Palestinian resistance factions are using them. However, these claims have not been backed by credible evidence and have been widely challenged by international media investigations and rights organizations. In a related development, the Palestinian Medical Relief Society recently stated that Israel's continued targeting of hospitals is part of a broader campaign of 'ethnic cleansing.' Meanwhile, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza ddeepens s Israeli military operations continue unabated, inflicting what international observers describe as war crimes and mass atrocities against civilians and displaced populations across the territory. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
4 days ago
- Days of Palestine
WFP: Over 70,000 Children in Gaza Suffering from Acute Malnutrition
DaysofPal – The World Food Program (WFP) has raised alarms over the deteriorating health crisis in Gaza, revealing that more than 70,000 children are now experiencing acute malnutrition. The organization warned that any intensification of hostilities could bring humanitarian aid efforts to a near-total standstill. In a statement issued Thursday, the WFP emphasized that the volume and type of aid currently reaching Gaza are grossly inadequate to address the urgent needs on the ground. This update comes amid mounting concern from both local and international actors about an impending famine. According to UN assessments, the entire population of Gaza—around 2.2 million people—is facing the real threat of starvation. Heartbreaking reports and images have surfaced showing children dying from hunger. Nearly 20 months into Israel's military campaign in Gaza, the toll continues to climb. The Ministry of Health in Gaza reports over 54,000 Palestinians killed and around 125,000 wounded. Thousands remain missing beneath rubble or in areas inaccessible due to relentless Israeli strikes. After more than two months of a full blockade, a limited number of UN aid trucks were permitted entry into Gaza starting May 19. However, humanitarian agencies, including UN bodies, have described the delivered aid as negligible compared to the massive scale of the crisis. Israeli forces, with consistent backing from the United States, have been carrying out a large-scale campaign in Gaza since October 7, 2023. The violence has left more than 179,000 Palestinians either dead or injured, most of them women and children. Over 11,000 are still missing, and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their homes. The WFP's findings underscore a humanitarian disaster spiraling out of control, where access to food and medical aid remains severely limited and the youngest continue to pay the heaviest price.
Days of Palestine
4 days ago
- Days of Palestine
Dozens of Palestinians killed in fresh Israeli airstrikes, including 4 journalists
DaysofPal – The Israeli military stepped up its attacks on residential areas and displacement camps in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 70 Palestinians and injuring almost 190 others since dawn Wednesday, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Early Thursday morning, heavy bombardments targeted multiple locations across the enclave, including hospitals, tents for displaced civilians, and residential neighborhoods. Among the dead were children, journalists, and entire families. At least 38 people were killed in overnight raids, according to medical sources at Nasser, Al-Maqadmi, and Al-Shifa hospitals. In Gaza City, four journalists were killed in an Israeli drone strike near Al-Maqadmi Hospital while covering the aftermath of the attacks. Press sources confirmed the journalists were directly targeted. At the Baptist Hospital in Gaza, its director, Dr. Fadel Naim, said that Israeli forces struck the facility for the eighth time since the start of the war, killing four people and wounding several others. In Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, a drone strike on tents sheltering displaced Palestinians killed six people, including four members of the same family. Fifteen others were wounded. Earlier bombardments had forced families to seek shelter, and witnesses recounted scenes of destruction. Elsewhere in the Strip, further casualties were reported. In Al-Shati Camp west of Gaza City, an Israeli strike killed three people, including a child and an elderly man. Doctors at Al-Shifa Hospital said several of the wounded were in critical condition. A separate drone attack on a home in Deir al-Balah killed a young girl and injured several others. In the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, another airstrike killed four Palestinians, with several others wounded, including children and women. Israeli forces also continued ground operations, including the demolition of residential buildings in the town of Al-Qarara, northeast of Khan Yunis. Eyewitnesses reported heavy artillery shelling in multiple neighborhoods across Khan Yunis, including Batn Al-Samin, Al-Katiba, and Street 5. Despite mounting international pressure to end the war, the Israeli army's chief of staff reaffirmed that it 'is not over yet.' The latest escalation comes amid mounting accusations of genocide by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza, with the war now stretching into its eighth month. Since the beginning of the war on October 7, 2023, over 180,000 Palestinians have been killed or wounded, the vast majority of them women and children. More than 11,000 remain missing. The offensive has displaced hundreds of thousands and created a catastrophic humanitarian crisis marked by widespread famine, especially among children. Shortlink for this post:
