FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – More than 16,000 children were killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of Israel’s military offensive on Oct. 7, 2023, at a rate of one child every 40 minutes, Gaza-based health authorities said Monday.
Marwan al-Hams, director of field hospitals with Gaza’s health authorities, said the toll included 16,278 children, among them 908 infants and 311 newborns who died after birth. Al-Hams made the statement during a press briefing at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
He said the humanitarian situation worsened significantly after Israel closed the crossings in early March, disrupting healthcare services. Thousands of children and pregnant women were left without access to medical care, deepening the crisis.
Many children survived on just one incomplete meal a day, with limited access to clean drinking water and proper nutrition due to Israeli strikes on infrastructure and the denial of aid, he said.
He also noted that thousands of children lived in displacement centers without basic necessities, while pregnant women faced difficulties reaching hospitals.
Israel halted the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza on March 2, after the expiration of the first phase of a January ceasefire agreement with Hamas. The second phase had yet to materialize, as negotiations remained stalled.
In a separate development, Gaza’s Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said at least 54 Palestinians were killed Monday in Israeli airstrikes targeting homes, vehicles, and gatherings across Gaza.
More than 52,000 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes since October 2023, including about 2,500 who died after Israel resumed its attacks on Gaza on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire.