What future awaits Gaza’s children under airstrikes and aid embargo?

Analysis What future awaits Gaza’s children under airstrikes and aid embargo?
One in five children under the age of five in Gaza is severely malnourished as a result of Israel’s ongoing blockade, according to the UN. (AFP)
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Updated 04 June 2025
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What future awaits Gaza’s children under airstrikes and aid embargo?

What future awaits Gaza’s children under airstrikes and aid embargo?
  • Yaqeen Hammad, an 11-year-old social media influencer from Gaza, has become a symbol of the war’s devastating impact on children
  • Child casualties mount across Palestinian enclave, even as the world marks International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression

DUBAI: “Where is the world?” That was the chilling closing caption shared by 11-year-old Yaqeen Hammad in one of the final videos she posted on social media, just days before she was killed on May 23 by an Israeli airstrike on Deir Al-Balah in Gaza.

Yaqeen’s story has been thrown into particular focus this week as the world marks International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression on June 4, a reminder not only of those lost but of the futures stolen.

As Gaza’s youngest social media influencer, Yaqeen was known for the uplifting videos she created and her work alongside her brother at Ouena, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to humanitarian relief and development.

Yaqeen’s followers will remember her for her infectious optimism and volunteer work with displaced families. Just days before she died, she posted survival tips to help others endure life under siege.

Now she has become a haunting symbol of the toll the war between Israel and Hamas is taking on young people.




Yaqeen Hammad was killed in an Israeli airstrike on May 23, drawing renewed attention to the plight of Gaza’s children. (Social Media) 

More than 50,000 children have been killed or injured since the latest conflict began, according to the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF. Thousands more have been orphaned or displaced by the ongoing violence.

Israeli authorities launched military operations in Gaza in retaliation for the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel, during which 1,200 people were killed, the majority of them civilians, and about 250 were taken hostage, many of them non-Israelis.

Despite repeated international efforts to broker a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the ruling authority in Gaza, the continuing conflict has devastated the Palestinian enclave, creating one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.

FASTFACT

  • Every year on June 4, International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression acknowledges the pain that children around the world suffer. Many of these children are victims of physical, mental, and emotional abuse.

For those children who survive long enough to see an enduring ceasefire, what kind of future awaits them?

“We are losing a generation before our eyes, condemning patients to die from hunger, disease and despair — deaths that could have been prevented,” American trauma surgeon Dr. Feroze Sidhwa told the UN Security Council on May 28.

He delivered a searing account of what he witnessed during two volunteer missions in Gaza, the first in 2024, the second in March and April this year, at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis. Sidhwa said he has worked in several conflict zones, including Haiti and Ukraine, but nothing compared to what he witnessed in Gaza.

“I operated in hospitals without sterility, electricity or anesthetics,” he told council members. “Children died, not because their injuries were unsurvivable but because we lacked blood, antibiotics and the most basic supplies.”

He stressed that during his five weeks in Gaza he had not treated a single combatant.

“Most of my patients were preteen children, their bodies shattered by explosions and torn by flying metal,” he said, describing six-year-old patients with bullets in their brains, and pregnant women whose pelvises had been shattered by airstrikes.

“Civilians are now dying not just from constant airstrikes, but from acute malnutrition, sepsis, exposure and despair,” he added, noting that in the time between his two visits he had observed a sharp decline in the general health of patients, many of whom were too weak to heal as a result of hunger.

According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, almost 71,000 cases of acute malnutrition, including 14,100 severe cases, are expected in Gaza between April 2025 and March 2026. As of May 29 this year, about 470,000 people in Gaza were facing imminent famine, the UN said, and the entire population was suffering from severe food insecurity. One in five children under the age of 5 years old is severely malnourished, and more than 92 percent of infants and pregnant or breastfeeding women are not receiving adequate nutrition.




As of May 29 this year, about 470,000 people in Gaza were facing imminent famine, the UN said, and the entire population was suffering from severe food insecurity. (AFP)

Despite global pressure on Israeli authorities to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, access for relief workers remains limited. The UN Relief and Works Agency said deliveries are sporadic and some areas are unreachable as a result of fighting.

The day after Yaqeen was killed, Gaza was struck by another tragedy. On May 24, an Israeli airstrike hit the home of Dr. Alaa Al-Najjar, a pediatrician in Khan Younis who had long devoted her life to saving children, while she was on duty treating the wounded at Nasser Medical Complex.

Nine of her 10 children were killed in the blast. The youngest was just 7 months old, the eldest only 12. Her husband Hamdi, also a doctor, and their 11-year-old son, Adam, were pulled from the rubble with critical injuries. Hamdi died in hospital on May 31.




Injured Palestinian children are transported by ambulance to the Ahli Arab Hospital (Maamadani), after an Israeli strike hit a school in the Al-Tuffah neighbourhood in Gaza City on April 3, 2025. (AFP)

The Israel Defense Force said in response to initial reports of the strike that “an aircraft struck several suspects identified by IDF forces as operating in a building near troops in the Khan Younis area, a dangerous combat zone that had been evacuated of civilians in advance for their protection. The claim of harm to uninvolved individuals is being reviewed.”

Two days later, another child’s face captured the attention of the world. Ward Jalal Al-Sheikh Khalil, 7, emerged from the flames alone when Fahmi Al-Jarjawi School in Gaza City, a shelter for displaced families, was hit by an Israeli airstrike on May 26.

Her mother and two siblings were killed and her father is fighting for his life. In a now-viral video, Ward whispers through tears: “There was a shooting and all my siblings died.”

The Israeli military and Shin Bet, the country’s internal security service, issued a statement about the bombing of the school, in which they claimed the strike had targeted a compound used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

“The command and control center was used by the terrorists to plan and gather intelligence in order to execute terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops,” the army said. “Numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians.”

Illustrations of a little girl surrounded by flames, inspired by Ward’s escape from the school, quickly spread across social media, capturing the sense of grief and outrage over the suffering of children in Gaza.

INNUMBERS

  • 1,309 children killed and 3,738 injured since the collapse of Gaza ceasefire on March 18.
  • 50,000 children reportedly killed or injured since latest conflict began in October 2023.

(Source: UNICEF)

“In a 72-hour period this weekend, images from two horrific attacks provide yet more evidence of the unconscionable cost of this ruthless war on children in the Gaza Strip,” UNICEF’s regional director, Edouard Beigbeder, said on May 27.

“On Friday, we saw videos of the bodies of burnt, dismembered children from the Al-Najjar family being pulled from the rubble of their home in Khan Younis. Of 10 siblings under 12 years old, only one reportedly survived, with critical injuries.

“Early Monday, we saw images of a small child trapped in a burning school in Gaza City. That attack, in the early hours of the morning, reportedly killed at least 31 people, including 18 children.

“These children — lives that should never be reduced to numbers — are now part of a long, harrowing list of unimaginable horrors: the grave violations against children, the blockade of aid, the starvation, the constant forced displacement, and the destruction of hospitals, water systems, schools and homes. In essence, the destruction of life itself in the Gaza Strip.”




Children watch as others inspect the damage at the Fahmi Al-Jarjawi School in Gaza City on May 26, 2025, following an Israeli strike. (AFP)

Beyond the physical destruction, an invisible crisis is escalating. According to the War Child Alliance, nearly half of children in Gaza now exhibit suicidal thoughts as a result of the sheer weight of grief, trauma and loss. Aid workers report children as young as 5 years old asking why they survived when their siblings, parents or even entire families did not.

During his address to the UN Security Council, Dr. Sidhwa described the despair he witnessed among young patients during his time in Gaza, and asked: “I wonder if any member of this council has ever met a 5-year-old who no longer wants to live — let alone imagined a society in which so many young children feel that way.

“What astonishes me is not that some children in Gaza have lost the will to live, but that any still cling to hope.”




Even with the most immediate, basic means of survival out of reach for many in Gaza, mental health support remains a more distant concern, leaving an entire generation to navigate profound psychological scars alone. (AFP)

Mental health professionals warn that many children in the territory display symptoms of complex trauma, including persistent nightmares, bed-wetting, social withdrawal, and panic attacks triggered by the sound of planes or ambulances.

But with even the most immediate, basic means of survival out of reach for many in Gaza, mental health support remains a more distant concern, leaving an entire generation to navigate profound psychological scars alone.

“How many more dead girls and boys will it take?” asked Beigbeder, the UNICEF chief. “What level of horror must be livestreamed before the international community fully steps up, uses its influence, and takes bold, decisive action to force the end of this ruthless killing of children?”

 


Israeli strike kills one in Lebanon’s south

Israeli strike kills one in Lebanon’s south
Updated 22 sec ago
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Israeli strike kills one in Lebanon’s south

Israeli strike kills one in Lebanon’s south
BEIRUT: One person was killed on Wednesday in an Israeli strike on a village in southern Lebanon, the health ministry reported, the latest deadly attack despite a November ceasefire.
“The raid carried out by an enemy Israeli drone on the town of Beit Lif, in the Bint Jbeil district, resulted in one martyr and three people injured,” read a statement from the ministry.
The official National News Agency said the strike targeted a house’s courtyard in the town, adding that a missile hit the homeowner’s car.
Israel has regularly bombed its northern neighbor since the November ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities with militant group Hezbollah including two months of full-blown war.
The agreement required Hezbollah fighters to withdraw north of the Litani river, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, and dismantle all military infrastructure to its south.
It also required Israel to withdraw all of its troops from Lebanon, but it has kept them in five positions it deems “strategic.”

US prepares to order departure of Baghdad embassy staff

US prepares to order departure of Baghdad embassy staff
Updated 12 min 36 sec ago
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US prepares to order departure of Baghdad embassy staff

US prepares to order departure of Baghdad embassy staff
  • State Department prepares to order departure of all nonessential personnel from US Embassy in Baghdad, officials tell AP

WASHINGTON: The State Department is preparing to order the departure of all nonessential personnel from the US Embassy in Baghdad due to the potential for regional unrest, two US officials said Wednesday.
The Baghdad embassy has already been on limited staffing, and the order will not affect a large number of personnel, but the department also is authorizing the departure of nonessential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait.
That gives them an option on whether to leave the country.
The Pentagon is standing by to support a potential evacuation of US personnel from US Embassy Baghdad, another US official said.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to detail plans that have not been made public.


Former Lebanese economy minister arrested on corruption charges

Former Lebanese economy minister arrested on corruption charges
Updated 11 June 2025
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Former Lebanese economy minister arrested on corruption charges

Former Lebanese economy minister arrested on corruption charges
  • Former Economy Minister Amin Salam was detained after three-hour interrogation

BEIRUT: A former Lebanese Cabinet minister has been arrested and charged after an investigation into alleged financial crimes, judicial and security officials told The Associated Press.
Former Economy Minister Amin Salam was detained after a three-hour interrogation about illegal use of ministry funds and use of suspicious contracts. The three judicial officials and one security official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.
Lebanon has been trying to reform its battered economy, which for decades has been rife with profiteering.
Salam has been charged with forgery, embezzlement, and misuse of public funds. Local media said it was related to alleged extortion of private insurance companies and using funds from a committee that supervises those companies for his own expenses.
Salam did not directly comment. On Monday, however, he shared a video on social media that denied the reports and asserted that his use of those funds was to increase the committee’s efficacy and transparency.
Salam was economy minister for over three years. He was appointed in 2021 at a time when Lebanon’s economy had plummeted and the country was plagued by severe power outages, fuel shortages and stark food inflation.


Israel urges Egypt to block Gaza-bound activist convoy

Israel urges Egypt to block Gaza-bound activist convoy
Updated 11 June 2025
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Israel urges Egypt to block Gaza-bound activist convoy

Israel urges Egypt to block Gaza-bound activist convoy
  • Pro-Palestinian activist convoy, bound for Gaza, arrived in the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Wednesday

JERUSALEM: Israel’s defense minister on Wednesday called on Egypt to block a hundreds-strong pro-Palestinian activist convoy from reaching Gaza, as the group arrived in the Libyan capital of Tripoli.
“I expect the Egyptian authorities to prevent the arrival of jihadist protesters at the Egypt-Israel border and not to allow them to carry out provocations or attempt to enter Gaza — an act that would endanger the safety of (Israeli) soldiers and will not be allowed,” Israel Katz said in a statement.


Charity accuses Israel of deadly strike on Gaza office building

Charity accuses Israel of deadly strike on Gaza office building
Updated 11 June 2025
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Charity accuses Israel of deadly strike on Gaza office building

Charity accuses Israel of deadly strike on Gaza office building
  • Medical charity Medecins du Monde says Israel violated international law with drone strikes on building housing one of its offices

PARIS: Medical charity Medecins du Monde Wednesday accused Israel of violating international law with drone strikes on a building housing one of its offices in war-torn Gaza that killed eight people, none of them staff.
The France-based aid group said in a statement the attack on Tuesday “constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law, which protects both civilian populations and humanitarian organizations operating in conflict zones.”
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Yesterday morning, at around 11:00 am local time, a building in Deir el-Balah housing a Medecins du Monde office was attacked by drones,” the aid group said.
Its staff had not been present as they had been off as part of the Eid Al-Adha holiday, it added.
“At least eight people were killed in the bombardment. All were on the last floor of the building,” it said, without providing more details on those killed.
“Medecins du Monde had informed the Israeli military of the presence of its office, which had officially been declared ‘deconflicted’, or shielded from Israeli military attacks under humanitarian coordination agreements,” it said.
“However, as during previous Israeli attacks, the team received no forward warning that would have allowed it to evacuate the building or take measures to protect anyone inside,” it added.
Several other non-governmental organizations as well as Palestinians displaced by the war are based in the same area, it said.
Israel is facing mounting pressure to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, whose entire population the United Nations has warned is at risk of famine.
Medecins du Monde last month, after more than two months of a total blockade on Gaza, accused Israel of using hunger as “a weapon of war” in the Palestinian territory.
Israel recently allowed some deliveries to resume through the newly formed, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
But the United Nations refuses to work with it, citing concerns over its practices and neutrality.
Dozens of people have been killed near GHF distribution points since late May, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency. It said Israeli forces killed 31 people waiting for aid early on Wednesday.
Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, 2023 attacked Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says the retaliatory Israeli military offensive has killed at least 54,981 people, the majority civilians. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable.
Out of 251 taken hostage during the Hamas attack, 54 are still held in Gaza including 32 the Israeli military says are dead.