At least 4,008 children have been killed in the ongoing war in Gaza, contributing to a death toll of 9,770 after nearly a month of Israeli bombings, which started on October 7, following a Hamas attack according to the Palestinian health ministry.
An Israeli air strike on Sunday afternoon, on several houses near a school at the Bureji refugee camp in central Gaza, killed at least 13 people, the Al-Aqsa Hospital officials confirmed to the media. This was Israel’s third attack targeting a refugee camp within a day, after attacking Gaza’s al-Maghazi and Jabalia refugee camps, killing more than 50 Palestinians.
The camp was located in the evacuation zone where Israel’s military had urged Palestinian civilians to seek refuge as it focuses its military offensive on the north.
Gaza has become a ‘graveyard’ for children: UN
The Gaza Strip is now a “graveyard” for thousands of Palestinian children, the United Nations has said. The UN has also warned that more children could die in Ghaza due to dehydration amid Israel’s war on the besieged enclave.
The UN disclosed that more than 40% of the casualties in Gaza over the past one month were children, accounting for 3,900 reported child victims. Additionally, approximately 1,250 children are missing and presumed buried under bombed buildings.
- According to the United Nations, 1.5 million people are now internally displaced in Gaza out of a population of 2.3 million.
- Between 2008 and September 2023, 859 children were killed by airstrikes and fighting in Gaza.
- Over the last 29 days, 408 children have been killed at an average of 130 children killed daily.
- Young infants born during the conflict face heightened risks.
- An estimated 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza face challenges due to hospital closures. with 14 hospitals and 45 clinics closed, “some women are having to give birth in shelters, in their homes, in the streets amid rubble,” the UN said.
- 1.5 million people, out of a population of 2.3 million, are now internally displaced in Gaza, according to the UN.
Latest situation
Explosions shook Gaza on Sunday evening, leading to communication disruptions. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) signaled potential plans for a significant incursion into Gaza City, potentially within the next 48 hours, as per Israeli media reports.
Meanwhile, heightened violence occurred on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. Hezbollah launched mortar and rocket fire on northern Israeli communities, including Kiryat Shmona, following an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon that resulted in the deaths of three girls aged eight to 14 and their grandmother.
A Hezbollah member of parliament termed the attack a “dangerous development,” warning of repercussions for Israel. Israelis were instructed to seek shelter, while the main northern road was closed to traffic.
Jordan airdrops medical aid into Gaza
The Jordan Air Force reportedly delivered medical aid into Gaza, circumventing Israel’s strict restrictions on aid entering the region.
Jordan King Abdullah confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that they airdropped medical supplies and drugs to a Jordanian field hospital in Gaza around Sunday midnight
“Our fearless air force personnel air-dropped at midnight urgent medical aid to the Jordanian field hospital in Gaza. This is our duty to aid our brothers and sisters injured in the war on Gaza. We will always be there for our Palestinian brethren,” King Abdullah stated.
However, it remains unclear if the aid reached the hospital, or if the operation was carried out with Israel’s knowledge or consent.