GAZA CITY, Palestine

During more than 15 months of the war, Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip has exacted a heavy toll on Palestinian children, claiming their lives, bodies, and childhood as the world watches.

The mass killing has targeted children at all stages of life, from fetuses in their mothers' wombs to premature infants in neonatal units and those up to 18 years old, the age limit set by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

According to Gaza’s government media office, Israel has killed approximately 17,861 children since the genocide began.

In a statement issued on Jan. 21, the office reported that among the total child casualties, “about 214 infants were born and killed during the genocide.”

The statement added that Israel killed around 808 children under the age of one.

Medical sources reported that Israeli airstrikes also killed pregnant Palestinian women along with their unborn children, though no official figures are available.

Killing of premature infants

On Nov. 10, 2023, Israeli forces stormed Al-Nasr Children's Hospital in western Gaza City, forcing medical staff to evacuate under gunfire. Troops refused to evacuate premature infants, leading to the deaths of five babies, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry at the time.

After the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza’s Al-Nasr neighborhood, the decomposed bodies of the infants were found in their incubators and hospital beds. The military had cut off their access to life-saving treatment.

Child injuries

In December 2024, Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), warned of a “pandemic of disabilities” in Gaza due to the ongoing war.

On X, he stated: “Now, Gaza has the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world – many losing limbs and undergoing surgeries without even anesthesia.”

At the end of January, Gaza’s government media office reported that 4,500 people had undergone amputations, 18% of them children.

Children at risk of starvation

A January statement from Gaza’s media office warned that 3,500 children face death due to severe malnutrition and food shortages.

The crisis persists despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect on Jan. 19.

Health officials reported that dozens of children have died due to Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid during the genocide, which has prevented food from reaching the population.

38,495 children orphaned

According to Gaza’s government media office, 38,495 children have lost one or both parents due to the genocide.

Previous human rights reports attributed this to killings and arrests by Israeli forces.

In February 2024, UNICEF Chief of Communications Jonathan Crickx stated: “Each of these children has a heartbreaking story.”

The loss of parents has forced many children into premature responsibility, leaving them to provide food and other essentials for their families. Hundreds have entered the workforce.

Education denied

For more than 15 months, school-aged children in the Gaza Strip have been deprived of education due to the genocide.

A Jan. 22 statement from Gaza’s Education Ministry reported that Israel has killed more than 15,000 school-age children—between 6 and 18 years old.

“The sheer number of casualties amounts to the genocide of the entire student and staff populations of more than 30 schools, highlighting the scale of crimes committed against children and educators,” the ministry stated.

The ministry added that more than 50,000 students have been injured, some multiple times. Many have suffered permanent disabilities, including amputations, paralysis, head injuries, and sensory loss.

“As a result, we anticipate a fivefold increase in students with disabilities in Gaza’s schools,” the statement added.

In September 2024, UNRWA’s Lazzarini warned that the war’s impact on Gaza’s education system could lead to a “lost generation.”

“Gaza where schools are not schools anymore,” he posted on X.

1M children need psychological support

On Jan. 24, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher reported that “one million children are in need of mental health and psycho-social support for depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.”

“Over 15 months, children in Gaza have been killed, starved, and frozen to death,” Fletcher told the UN Security Council.

“Children have been killed, starved and frozen to death. They have been maimed, orphaned or separated from their family,” Fletcher told a Security Council session on the plight of children in Gaza.

He added that children have lost access to schools and medical care, with those suffering from chronic illnesses struggling to receive treatment.

According to UNICEF, one million children in Gaza are experiencing severe psychological trauma, he added.

A ceasefire deal took effect last month, halting Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed at least 48,300 people, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.