![Relatives of Palestinians, who lost their lives following the Israeli attack, mourn as they receive the bodies from Nasser Hospital to hold funeral in Khan Yunis, Gaza on May 3, 2025. [Hani Alshaer - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/AA-20250503-37830429-37830394-14_PALESTINIANS_INCLUDING_INFANTS_KILLED_IN_ISRAELI_ATTACKS_ON_SOUTHERN_GAZA____-1-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
The Israeli occupation army has killed 16,278 Palestinian children in the genocide it has been committing in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023, at a rate of one child killed every 40 minutes, the Ministry of Health reported yesterday.
The ministry said that “among these martyrs are 908 infants who did not complete their first year, and 311 children who were born and martyred during the genocidal war.”
It warned of the escalating health and humanitarian catastrophe that the Gaza Strip is suffering as a result of more than 18 months of Israel’s genocide, which has left widespread destruction and tragic conditions, especially among children, women and the elderly.
Director of Field Hospitals at the Ministry, Marwan Al-Hams, added that the Israeli blockade and the closure of crossings for more than two months have exacerbated the health situation. Primary healthcare centres have been closed due to bombing or because they are located within evacuation zones, depriving thousands of children and pregnant women of basic medical care.
Al-Hams noted that polio vaccines are still prohibited from entering, threatening efforts to prevent the disease.
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The ministry recorded the death of 57 children due to malnutrition and health complications, amid a severe shortage of medicinal milk, especially for children with special needs.
Al-Hams added that relying on one incomplete meal a day has caused many children to suffer from emaciation and malnutrition, “as they have been deprived of safe drinking water and healthy food due to the occupation’s targeting of infrastructure and the denial of aid entry.”
The ministry also documented the killing of Palestinian children as they attempted to obtain food rations from charitable institutions that were directly bombed.
It warned that thousands of children are now homeless and living in displacement camps that lack the minimum necessities of life, while pregnant women face extreme difficulty reaching hospitals, especially at night when the bombing intensifies.
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