Broken Bodies, Broken Dreams: The Harrowing Toll of Israeli War on Gaza’s Children

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has voiced alarm over the devastating impact of the ongoing war on Gaza, particularly concerning its most vulnerable population—children. Given the extreme conditions they endure, UNICEF urgently calls for immediate psychological and educational support for these young lives trapped in the throes of Israeli aggression. Kazem Abu-Khalaf, UNICEF's spokesperson, reports that the death toll among children in Gaza has surpassed 14,000, and thousands more have sustained severe injuries. Beyond the physical wounds, every child in Gaza is in desperate need of psychological care to cope with the harrowing trauma they have witnessed. Since the onset of the Israeli war, nearly all schools in Gaza have been destroyed, depriving about 625,000 Palestinian children of their right to education. Meanwhile, the Israeli strikes have resulted in hundreds of youngsters suffering permanent physical impairments. Abu-Khalaf has also declared plans to establish learning spaces in makeshift tents to provide some semblance of education for Palestinian children. However, such measures fall short of addressing the profound challenges these children face.