Today, on 20 November, as the world celebrates World Children’s Day, Gaza’s children endure their 411th consecutive day of unimaginable horrors of a genocidal war unprecedented in history. Children constitute 47% of Gaza’s population and are the ultimate victims of the indiscriminate Israeli war machine. They face relentless mass killings, fatal injuries, and disabilities that leave everlasting physical and psychological scars. Forced displacement and leaving their homes behind in a heartbreaking scene as well as the deprivation of fundamental rights such as education and healthcare add to their plight, as they endure daily struggles in absence of the least protection and humanity. The deliberate targeting and destruction of Gaza’s children are part of a declared strategy by Israeli leaders to systematically erase Palestinian existence and annihilate an entire generation.
Since 07 October 2023, IOF have killed over 17,492 children, including 211 newborns who were born and killed during the war, and 825 children under one year of age—one child is killed every 10 minutes1. These horrifying estimates exclude deaths caused by disease, hunger, and epidemics, exacerbated by Israel’s ongoing strangulating siege on the Strip. the heart-wrenching scenes of newborns losing their lives due to the Israeli Occupying Forces targeted attacks on hospitals, leading to power outages that disrupt critical oxygen suppliers. Among the countless tragic testimonies, Mrs. Taghreed Al-Amawi recounted the loss of her son, Mohammad Dawood:
“On 27 October 2023, I gave birth to my premature son, Mohammad, at Kamal Adwan Hospital. He was placed in an incubator and required mechanical ventilators because he suffered from Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD). I stayed only one night at the hospital and was then discharged, leaving my baby to continue receiving care. I visited him daily, torn between hope and worry. As time passed and supplies dwindled, including antibiotics, I did not give up and sought help from my colleagues who managed to secure antibiotics. My baby’s condition improved gradually, but on 13 November amid the Israeli siege, the hospital ran out of fuel due to blocking its entry into the Strip, leading to a power outage that worsened my son’s condition. I used oxygen cylinder from my clinic for four additional hours. Yet, on 20 November 2023, my baby passed away. When I visited him, I realized I had lost him without holding him one last time. He was not the only victim—two other children also died due to a lack of oxygen. I bid him farewell with a heart shattered by unbearable grief. He was temporarily buried in the hospital yard due to the dire circumstances and random bombardment. My husband later moved him to a cemetery on 29 November. I haven’t been able to visit his grave to this day, and the pain still weighs heavily on my heart.” 2
Thousands of children in Gaza suffer severe injuries caused by indiscriminate bombings and explosions from IOF’s lethal weapons. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has documented countless cases of devastating injuries, including amputations, deformities, burns, and spinal cord injuries leading to paralysis or permanent physical impairment. Many have also suffered brain injuries affecting cognition and behavior, while others have lost their sight or experienced vision impairments, hindering their ability to learn and navigate daily life. Amid the systematic targeting of the healthcare system and the destruction of hospitals, injured and sick children in Gaza struggle to access even the most basic medical care. The strangulating siege restricts the entry of essential drugs and medical equipment, intensifying the health crisis and gravely impacting critical surgical procedures for children. As a result, they endure constant pain with minimal chances of survival. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a looming health catastrophe, predicting a generation burdened with physical and mental disabilities. It reports that 25% of the injured in Gaza are likely to have acute and ongoing rehabilitation needs.3
PCHR managed to document the harrowing testimonies of children and their families highlighting the indescribable suffering they are forced to go through. Among these testimonies, Youssuf Isma’il Mahmod Al-Duqqi (30) stated to PCHR’s staff:
“On 03 September 2024, my elder brother Mohammed, a government employee in Gaza, visited us with his wife and two daughters, Hanan (3) and almost-2-year-old Misk. Half an hour after he returned home, we heard two deafening explosions that shook the ground like an earthquake. I rushed to the windows and saw thick smoke rising from the direction of my brother’s apartment, just 200 meters away. Consumed by fear, I rushed to the scene. What I found was horrifying, injured people lay scattered on the ground, screams echoed everywhere. When I reached their apartment, it had flattened to the ground. Everything was destroyed. I called out for my brother, his wife, and their daughters, but no one responded. Then I saw my sister-in-law, Shaimaa (25), lying face down, her body covered in blood. She was dead, and I covered her. Moments later, I heard Misk, my 2-year-old younger niece, crying. She was bleeding from her forehead and abdomen, her left leg severed below the knee. I carried her to the ambulance and returned to search through the ruins. I found my brother Mohammed trapped under the rubble, seriously injured, struggling to free himself. I carried him to the ambulance as well. At the hospital, Hanan, my elder niece, had been flung from the apartment by the force of the explosions. She suffered amputations in both legs, her intestines were outside her abdomen, and severe burns covered her face. have no more words left to describe what I have seen. Their lives were destroyed in a single moment, their future irrevocably altered. I. They will never lead normal lives again, burdened by an unspeakable psychological trauma that no words can tell” 4
The genocidal campaign against Gaza’s children extends beyond death and injury. It has led to the systematic detention of children under brutal and inhumane conditions. Released child detainees have recounted being intimidated by police dogs, forced to strip in freezing conditions, and subjected to prolonged handcuffing and blindfolding in open fields, as they endure beatings with batons and rifle butts, deprivation of food and water, and denial of medical treatment, even amid outbreaks of disease and lack of personal hygiene supplies. This cruel treatment leaves severe physical and psychological scars, robbing these children of their ability to lead normal, healthy lives.
The horrors inflicted by this Israeli aggression on Gaza’s children defy imagination. A generation once brimming with hope and dreams for a bright future now battles profound trauma, compounded by the complete breakdown of mental health system. Those who survived the indiscriminate bombings live in tear-prone, unsafe makeshift shelters and tents, constantly under threat of further attacks, stripped of the warmth of their homes embrace, living in dire conditions devoid of even the most basic life essentials, and exposing children to severe health risks from overcrowding, poor sanitation, and the spread of disease. In such dire conditions, children bear overwhelming burdens that strip them of their childhoods and exhaust their frail bodies. From gathering firewood to fetching water, they are forced to stand in long lines for the most meager of resources, and at times queue at soup kitchens for a meal that barely starve off their hunger.
One of the most heart-wrenching challenges is the loss or forced separation from parents and close relatives. Thousands of Gaza’s children face life in isolation, deprived of the protection and support of their families. It is estimated that 35,060 children in Gaza have lost one or both parents. Each carries a tragic story of loss, leaving deep psychological scars that destabilize their mental health and plunge them into depression and anxiety. The longer their separation from loved ones lasts, the more devastating the consequences become, threatening to derail their futures entirely.
PCHR has documented dozens of cases of forced separation. One such testimony comes from Sumaya Sa’d Al-Kahlout (40), who recounted the separation of her nephew:
“On 12 November 2023, we received the devastating news of an airstrike on Jabalia that killed my parents and 25 relatives, including my father, mother, and their children, as well as several neighbors. Our home was completely destroyed. Four of my siblings and five of their children survived because they were outside the house, while others were rescued from under the rubble with injuries. Two days after the incident, following the evacuation of the dead and survivors, my injured brothers and their children decided to walk south, escaping Israeli-imposed siege on northern Gaza. After a grueling journey, they reached Deir Al-Balah, where my sister and I live. Then, they sought medical care at Shuhada Al-Aqsa Hospital, where they were transferred to the European Hospital staying there for 3 months with no improvement to their health. As their health conditions worsened, arrangements were made for urgent treatment abroad. My brother Mo’taz and his young son Sa’d traveled to Turkey, while my brother Mus’ab and his son Baraa were sent to Qatar. Left behind was my two-and-a-half-year-old nephew, Anas Mus’ab Al-Kahlout, who had been pulled from the rubble after the horrific incident, all while bearing the unbearable agony of losing his mother. When Anas arrived at my home, he was in severe shock. He stopped talking, screamed constantly, and ate in silence without engaging in any other activities. Helping him recover from this immense trauma was a daunting task. He resisted interaction and rejected every attempt to connect with him. However, my middle daughter, Mariam (16), never gave up. She showered him with unconditional love and care, embracing him in every possible way. Gradually, over the course of a year, Anas began to come back to life. He started talking again, slowly adjusting to us, and began calling me “Mama”, as he no longer remembers his own mother. He also started to rebuild a bond with his father. At first, he refused to speak to his father over the phone, but over time, we convinced him that he still had a father and siblings, working to reconnect. Despite our relentless efforts, the family remains scattered across different countries. Anas is now separated from his parents and siblings, living far from the mother he lost and the father and brother still undergoing treatment in another country. This fragmentation weighs heavily on his little heart, deepening his isolation and amplifying the pain of their shattered family. The family’s unity was torn apart by the immense loss and devastation.” 5
In addition to death, injury, displacement, and the loss of parents, Gaza’s children face the looming threat of death from hunger and thirst due to Israel’s deliberate starvation policy against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, as the chances of obtaining a single daily meal in Gaza City and northern Gaza have vanished. Estimates indicate that 3,500 children are at risk of dying due to malnutrition and lack of food. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 0.8% of children under 5 years of age acutely malnourished before the escalation to between 12.4% and 16.5% in northern Gaza.6 The UNICEF-lead Global Nutrition Cluster reported that 90% of children aged 6–23 months, along with pregnant and breastfeeding women across Gaza, face severe food poverty, eating two or fewer food groups each day.7
With education entirely disrupted at all levels, children in Gaza face a bleak and uncertain future. Schools throughout the Strip have been turned into shelters, while educational facilities, including schools, kindergartens, libraries, and learning centers, have suffered systematic and direct destruction. A total of 131 schools and universities have been completely destroyed, and 346 educational institutions have been partially damaged. This relentless targeting has deprived hundreds of thousands of students of their fundamental right to education. It has also resulted in the deaths of 12,700 students and 754 teachers and educational staff. In an effort to destroy the future of an entire generation, at least 45,000 six-year-old children have been denied the chance to attend school in their first year.8 As a result, 785,000 students across Gaza have been stripped of their basic right to education. These atrocities add to a long list of Israeli crimes aimed at obliterating entire generations in Gaza.
The testimony of the student Nasreen Mohammed Nour Al-Din Hijazi (15) highlights the devastating impact of war on children, as she recounts losing her opportunity to continue her education after being injured:
“I live with my mother, four sisters, and three brothers. My father passed away due to kidney failure. On 07 October 2023, at 06:30, I was studying for a math exam when I heard strange sounds that I initially thought were thunder. Hours later, Israeli bombings began targeting every house in Gaza, and danger surrounded us from all sides, forcing us to limit our movements. Education came to a halt as the war began, and we remained at home. Ddespite the IOF designating Rafah as a humanitarian zone, on 15 May 2024, the Israeli military dropped leaflets demanding the evacuation of Rafah. We moved to the Qizan Abu Rishwan area, where my mother’s family lived. We pitched a tent and struggled to access water and food, compounded by the area’s remoteness from essential services and the continued targeting. We couldn’t leave because there was no safe place to go. On 25 July 2024, IOF suddenly raided the area, forcing us to flee to Asdaa, where we set up a new tent. However, we faced the same challenges. On 17 August 2024, a military operation began targeting the nearby city of Hamad. Leaflets were dropped orfering evacuation, and the tents of displaced families were targeted with airstrikes and tank shells. Once again, we fled back to Qizan Abu Rishwan despite the risks, choosing land slightly farther from targeted areas. Two weeks later, the army bombed the tent next to ours, and I was severely injured. I was taken to Nasser Hospital, where it was revealed that I had a fractured skull, shrapnel in my right hand, and burns and wounds across most of my body. I later learned that some students had returned to studying remotely, but after my injury, I could no longer resume my studies like my classmates. I remain in the hospital, surrounded by pain and wounds, feeling as if my future is slipping away before my eyes, as if my dreams are being torn apart with each passing day. Education was my window to the future, the dream I clung to. Since the beginning of the war, studies came to a halt, and I have now lost two full years of my education. I had been waiting eagerly for the day life would return to normal, the day I could hold my books, sit in my classroom, and learn again.” 9
IOF’s systematic targeting of children in every aspect of their daily lives is not an unintended consequence of military operations; rather, it is part of a broader plan aimed at erasing an entire generation of Palestinians in Gaza, amounting to genocide, and demanding urgent international accountability. The continued supply of weapons and support to Israel by the United States and some Western allies—through the export of military equipment and technology used in these operations—has only exacerbated the suffering of Gaza’s children.
PCHR underscores that Israel’s ongoing military aggression and its disregard for calls to end the genocide in Gaza are emboldened by the perpetual impunity granted by some Western allies alongside these nations’ complicity in the serious crimes committed against the Palestinian people through continuously arming Israel with weapons, ammunition, and political support.
PCHR reiterates its call to the international community to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities to force Israel to stop its genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. This includes imposing an immediate halt to arms exports to Israel and compel it to comply with the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures to prevent and stop the genocide.
