Gaza a 'graveyard' where parenthood is a 'curse': Israel-Hamas war claims lives of 400+ children every day
Israel-Hamas and children
Trigger warning: Some readers may find the details of this report disturbing. Discretion is advised
In just the first 25 days, more than 3,600 children have lost their lives to the increasingly brutal Israel-Hamas war, reports the Hamas controlled Gaza Health Ministry.
Gaza, as per the UN's children agency UNICEF, has become "a graveyard for thousands of children", where more than 400 are killed or injured every day. Gazans say parenthood in the war-torn land has become a "curse".
The toll on innocence
As per global charity Save the Children, in just over three weeks, the ongoing war has claimed the lives of more children than all the world's conflicts combined in the last three years.
In the crowded Gaza Strip, almost half of the 2.3 million inhabitants are under 18, and so far, around 40 per cent of the dead are children.
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James Elder, the United Nations Children's Fund's (UNICEF) spokesperson,said, "Gaza has become a graveyard for thousands of children".
According to UNICEF estimates, every day, more than 400 children are killed or injured in Gaza due to the Israeli offensive.
In a statement, the UN agency said that around 3,500 children have reportedly been killed, while more than 6,800 have been injured due to the "ongoing bombardment".
"This cannot become the new normal," it asserted, adding, "Children have endured too much already. The killing and captivity of children must stop. Children are not a target."
The 'curse' of parenthood
"It’s a curse to be a parent in Gaza," said Ahmed Modawikh, who lost his eight-year-old daughter to the war, as quoted by news agency AP.
Also read |'Mom, I'm fine': 6-year-old Muslim boy's heartbreaking last words before dying in hate crime
Another Gazan, Yasmine Jouda, who has lost 68 members of his extended family in an airstrike on a four-story building in Deir al-Balah, summed up the situation in just nine words: "People are running from death only to find death".
It is not just Gaza. Israeli children have also become victims of the bloodshed too. When Hamas militants launched their attack on October 7, about 1,400 Israelis were killed, among them babies and small children.
Reports of allegedly beheaded babies and charred bodies of children shocked the global community. Of the more than 240 hostages still stuck in the clutches of militants, some 30 are children.
Also read |I wish that it wasn't true: War correspondent stands by report of beheadings of Israeli babies
The tragedy of lost innocence unfortunately doesn't end here. Hundreds of minors have lost their parents, many are left without a family.
"What did this tiny baby do to deserve a life without any family?" questions Jouda, whose one-year-old Milissa is now an orphan, having lost her mother to an attack.
A huge number of injured children, their heartbreaking visuals of being pulled from the rubble, all bloody or writhing on dirty gurneys in makeshift hospitals, are a haunting reminder of the massive cost wars have on 'innocence'.
(With inputs from agencies)
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos, and videos.
