Over 39,000 Children in Gaza Have Lost One or Both Parents, Palestinian Statistics Agency Reports
Tens of thousands of Palestinian children have lost their parents since the start of Israel’s war on the besieged Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the eve of Palestinian Children’s Day, the agency revealed that 39,384 children in Gaza have lost one or both parents after 534 days of Israel’s assault. The ongoing war has devastated the small enclave and displaced most of its 2.3 million residents.
Among these children, approximately 17,000 have been orphaned completely since October 2023, when Israel launched its genocidal offensive.
“These children are living in tragic conditions, with many forced to take refuge in torn tents or destroyed homes, in a near-total absence of social care and psychological support,” the statement said. “The Gaza Strip is suffering from the largest orphan crisis in modern history.”
The report also highlighted that at least 17,954 children have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza, including 274 newborn babies and 876 infants under the age of one.
“Seventeen children froze to death in tents sheltering displaced people, and 52 others died of starvation and systematic malnutrition,” the statement added.
The bureau warned that 60,000 children are at risk of death due to severe malnutrition and the looming threat of famine.
Since resuming its offensive in Gaza after a fragile ceasefire brought a brief respite, Israel has sealed vital border crossings, blocking the entry of essential humanitarian aid, including flour, fuel, and medical supplies.
Even before the last ceasefire, which lasted only about two months and ended in January, Israeli forces had largely kept the border crossings closed, turning away thousands of aid convoys.
Gaza’s Government Media Office condemned the move, stating earlier this week that the Israeli government is implementing a policy of “systematic starvation” by halting the entry of aid and flour for an entire month, forcing bakeries to shut down.
Children and minors under the age of 18 make up about 43 percent of the combined Palestinian population of 5.5 million in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, the bureau noted.
Since resuming its deadly campaign on March 18, the Israeli army has killed more than 1,160 Palestinians in Gaza.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 50,523 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, the majority of whom are women and children.
The report also stated that since October 7, Israeli forces have detained more than 1,055 children, mostly in the West Bank, in what it described as an “unprecedented” escalation against Palestinian children. More than 350 of these children remain in Israeli prison facilities.
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