By Nadine Osman
London, (The Muslim News): For 23 months, Israeli forces have killed an average of at least one Palestinian child every hour in Gaza — a relentless toll that has now claimed the lives of 20,000 children, a figure representing approximately 2 percent of the enclave’s entire child population, according to data verified by Save the Children. This staggering loss of a generation has continued unabated despite repeated international diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire
The human cost extends far beyond those killed, with at least 42,011 children injured and 21,000 left permanently disabled according to UN reports. Among the most vulnerable victims were 1,009 infants under one year old, including 450 babies born during the conflict who never knew life beyond war. Thousands more children remain missing, presumed buried beneath the rubble.
Ahmad Alhendawi, Save the Children’s Regional Director, described the statistics as “a shameful and horrific new low,” adding that “this war is a cruel and deliberate assault on the children of Gaza and their future.” He emphasized that with the International Court of Justice investigating potential genocide, all states have a legal duty to act.
For surviving children, conditions continue to deteriorate. A famine declared in Gaza Governorate is expected to spread, with over a million people – half of them children – already facing catastrophic hunger. The Ministry of Health reports 132,000 children under five risk death from acute malnutrition, with 135 children already confirmed starved to death, including 20 since famine was declared on August 22.
The physical destruction across Gaza is nearly total, with 90% of the territory devastated and Israeli forces controlling over 80% of the area. The infrastructure collapse includes 97% of schools and 94% of hospitals damaged, while 38 hospitals, 96 health centres, and nearly 200 ambulances have been destroyed or rendered inoperable. The healthcare crisis has contributed to approximately 12,000 miscarriages among pregnant women due to hunger, trauma, and lack of medical care.
The cultural landscape has been equally devastated, with 835 mosques destroyed, 180 damaged, three churches attacked, and 40 cemeteries demolished. Local authorities also report that over 2,450 bodies have been removed from burial sites, an act condemned as desecration.
A catastrophic housing crisis has displaced nearly two million people, with 268,000 housing units destroyed and 301,000 severely or partially damaged. More than 288,000 families now shelter in tents described as “unfit for human habitation,” with 293 shelters and displacement centres having been hit by Israeli strikes.
The overall Palestinian death toll has reached 67,139, with 169,583 injured, according to the Health Ministry’s latest update. The ministry noted that “many victims remain trapped under rubble or in the streets, where rescuers cannot reach them.”
Despite claims of de-escalation, airstrikes continued this weekend with medical sources reporting at least 16 Palestinians killed on Sunday alone. Attacks targeted residential buildings and displacement tents, including four people killed while waiting for aid northwest of Rafah. The Health Ministry also confirmed additional deaths from forced starvation.
The continuing violence comes as negotiators gather in Egypt for renewed ceasefire talks. US President Donald Trump stated that Hamas appears “ready for lasting peace” and called Israel for an immediate halt to bombing to facilitate the release of Israeli hostages.
Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli authorities approved the confiscation of 35 dunams (9 acres) from the village of Kafr Qaddum for new settlement construction. This follows September announcements regarding plans to annex almost all (82%) of the West Bank, a move considered illegal under international law that would effectively end the prospect of a two-state solution. According to monitoring groups, Israeli forces and settlers have carried out more than 38,000 attacks across the West Bank since October 2023.
[Photo: Palestinian children looking for their personal belongings among destroyed buildings as Israel’s attacks on Gaza continue for nearly two years, in Gaza City, Gaza on October 5, 2025. Nearly two years of Israeli attacks and blockade have left the city’s infrastructure in ruins, forcing residents to struggle daily to access essential needs such as food, water, medicine, and electricity. Photojournalist: Saeed M. M. T. Jaras/AA]
