Every 40 Minutes, A Gazan Child Martyred

TEHRAN (Defapress) - According to Palestinian Information Center, Marwan Al-Hams, Director-General of Field Hospitals in Gaza, announced that more than 16,000 children have been martyred in the Gaza Strip since Israel’s genocidal war began on October 7, 2023. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, May 5, he stated that this staggering figure translates to the death of one child every 40 minutes over the past 17 months.

Among the victims, 908 Palestinian children were under one year old, while 311 were born and martyred during the ongoing genocide. Al-Hams also reported documented cases of children being struck by Israeli airstrikes while attempting to collect food aid from charitable kitchens.

The prolonged Israeli blockade, now exceeding 2 months, has severely worsened Gaza’s health crisis. Numerous primary healthcare centers have been forced to close, either destroyed by direct bombardment or located within evacuation zones, leaving thousands of children and pregnant women without critical medical care.

Medical shortages have reached alarming levels, with a 51% deficit in essential medicines for women and children, including nutritional supplements, vitamins, vaccines, and infant formula. Al-Hams emphasized that Israel continues to block polio vaccines, undermining previous public health efforts to prevent disease outbreaks.

With infrastructure decimated and humanitarian aid obstructed, families in Gaza are surviving on just one incomplete meal per day. This has led to widespread malnutrition and emaciation among children, who lack access to safe drinking water and nutritious food.