DaysofPal- A new fact sheet published by the Center for Political and Development Studies has issued a dire warning about the condition of children in the Gaza Strip, declaring that they are facing a systematic genocide under Israel’s ongoing military assault.
The report, titled “Gaza’s Children Under Fire: Systematic Genocide and a Cry for Help,” outlines the devastating toll the war has taken on Gaza’s youngest population since the conflict erupted on October 7, 2023.
According to the findings, over 17,000 children have been killed in Israeli attacks, while more than 33,900 others have been injured. The report also estimates that approximately 4,000 children remain missing, many of whom are believed to be buried under rubble. The number of orphans in the territory has surpassed 40,000.
“This is one of the deadliest and most targeted assaults on children in modern history,” the report stated, emphasizing the scale and brutality of the attacks.
Beyond physical harm, the fact sheet highlights a deepening mental health crisis among Gaza’s children. Nearly 50% are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), while tens of thousands display signs of severe trauma, including nightmares, bed-wetting, mutism, and aggressive behavior. A separate study by War Child found that 96% of children now live in constant fear, believing death is imminent.
The report also sheds light on the destruction of Gaza’s educational infrastructure, revealing that 95% of schools have been either partially or totally damaged, with more than 1,200 schools rendered completely inoperable. This has left around 625,000 children out of school and deprived of their right to education.
Additionally, the war has resulted in the displacement of 1.9 million people, half of them children, and the destruction of over 92% of homes in the Gaza Strip.
The report expresses particular concern over malnutrition, noting that 5,119 children were treated for severe acute malnutrition in May 2025 alone—a 150% increase compared to February during a brief ceasefire.
In its conclusion, the center issued a desperate plea to the international community, calling for:
• The immediate and permanent opening of humanitarian corridors;
• The implementation of an emergency plan to address both mental health care and alternative education systems;
• Protection for unaccompanied and orphaned children;
• And the international prosecution of Israeli officials for war crimes against children.
“The scale of suffering endured by Gaza’s children is staggering,” the report stated. “What is happening is not a byproduct of war—it is a deliberate, systematic erasure of an entire generation.”
International organizations and human rights advocates have echoed the call for urgent action as the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza deepens with no clear end in sight.
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