16,400 children killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since October

At least 16,480 Palestinian children have been killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip since 7 October, local authorities said yesterday, Anadolu reported.

“The victims included 115 babies,” Ismail Thawabteh, who heads Gaza’s government media office, told the news agency.

He said 35 Palestinian children died of malnutrition and dehydration amid a tight Israeli blockade on the enclave.

“At least 3,500 children in Gaza are facing the risk of death amid a lack of food and malnutrition under Israeli restrictions on the delivery of food into Gaza,” he warned.

“More than 17,000 children have lost their parents or at least one of them after they were brutally killed by Israeli occupation forces.”

For months, international and UN agencies have warned of the psychological impact of Israel’s bombing campaign on Palestinian children.

“The emotional distress of dodging bombs and bullets, losing loved ones, being forced to flee through streets littered with debris and corpses, and waking up every morning not knowing if they will be able to eat has also left parents and caregivers increasingly unable to cope,” Save the Children said in March.

Gaza: 115 babies under eight months old killed by Israel