DaysofPal – Save the Children has released a statement painting a devastating picture of the lives of Palestinian children and families under 23 months of war. At least one child has been killed every hour, with the total number now exceeding 20,000.
Among the dead, at least 1,009 were infants under one, nearly half of whom were born during the conflict and never lived beyond it. Thousands more children have been injured, with 21,000 left permanently disabled, while many remain missing under rubble from Israeli strikes.
The statement shared heart-wrenching accounts collected by the organization’s Mental Health and Psychosocial Support team in Gaza. Parents described their unbearable grief and trauma: “Parents are surviving malnutrition, displacement, and constant bombardment while mourning their slaughtered babies. They speak of lost embraces, laughter, cries, and even the mischievousness they will never see again. Every breath is pain coming in.”
Famine is worsening the crisis. Over a million people, roughly half children, face catastrophic hunger, the worst-case IPC Phase 5. At least 132,000 children under five are at risk of death from acute malnutrition, and at least 135 have already starved to death, including 20 since 22 August.
Israeli bombardment has left 97% of schools and 94% of hospitals damaged or destroyed, with children disproportionately affected by blast injuries due to their physical vulnerability and developmental needs.
Ahmad Alhendawi, Save the Children’s Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe, called the situation “a cruel, depraved, and deliberate war on the children of Gaza and their future.
Systematic attacks on homes, schools, and hospitals, and starvation by design have stolen a generation.” He warned that if urgent international action is not taken, future Palestinian communities face total annihilation.
The organization’s statement stressed the legal obligations of all states. Atrocity crimes, crimes against humanity, and war crimes have been committed, and the plausible risk of genocide is enough to demand immediate action. Save the Children is calling for an immediate ceasefire and unfettered access to deliver life-saving aid to children and families.
It also urged all states to halt transfers of weapons, parts, and ammunition used against civilians and children, emphasizing that enhanced legal protections for children are mandatory and non-negotiable.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=67207
