By The New Arab Staff
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has revealed that at least 50,000 Palestinian children in Gaza have been killed or wounded since the start of Israel’s military assault in October 2023.
In a post on its official X account on Monday, the UN agency said that civilians, including children, humanitarian workers, medical staff, and journalists, continue to be killed and injured in Gaza amid Israel’s indiscriminate offensive.
UNRWA’s statement comes as Israel’s army chief, Herzi Halevi, ordered an expansion of military operations in northern and southern parts of the enclave. According to an Israeli military statement, the aim was to “create conditions for the return of hostages and defeat Hamas”, though rights groups warn that the operations were contributing to mass civilian casualties and widespread devastation.
The military also claimed it would set up new distribution centres for humanitarian aid – an effort international organisations have dismissed as ineffective and exclusionary.
Israel has closed border crossings to humanitarian aid for more than 90 days, deliberately pushing 2.4 million people toward famine. A new Israeli- and US-backed aid mechanism launched last month, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, has also come under fire.
UN bodies have cast doubt on the group’s legitimacy, and its operations in so-called “safe zones” in southern Gaza have repeatedly ended in chaos, including deadly shootings by Israeli forces at distribution points.
On Sunday, Israeli forces opened fire on crowds waiting for aid in Rafah, killing 32 Palestinians and wounding over 250, according to Gaza’s media office.
On Sunday afternoon, artillery fire killed three Palestinians, including a disabled child, and wounded over 20 in the al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis. Other strikes destroyed a kidney dialysis clinic in the north and hit areas near the al-Dhabit junction in central Gaza.
The health ministry said 37 Palestinians were killed in the last 24 hours, with 136 injured. Many more remain trapped under rubble or in inaccessible areas as rescue teams struggle to reach them.
Beyond the physical toll, Gaza is witnessing a mental health emergency, particularly among children. A recent study by the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme found that 70 percent of displaced children show symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
Ten-year-old Lana Khalil Sharif, from Khan Younis, developed vitiligo and premature greying of her hair after surviving a nearby airstrike. Her mother told The New Arab’s Arabic language edition that doctors linked her condition to severe trauma. The girl has since become socially withdrawn and refuses to go outside.
In another case, six-year-old Malak Ahmed, who was born with autism, lost her father in an Israeli strike on Nuseirat. She has since developed serious health complications and now requires treatment unavailable in Gaza.
Children who survive attacks are increasingly left orphaned and emotionally scarred. Jude Abu Saleh, four, lost both parents in a bombing and now suffers from frequent nightmares, panic attacks, and extreme separation anxiety, according to his aunt, who is now his guardian.
Doctors are also reporting unexplained illnesses among children, including cases like 10-year-old Rahaf Ayad, whose hair and weight have dramatically declined, leaving her skeletal and immobile. Her condition has baffled local doctors, who say the lack of medical infrastructure prevents proper diagnosis.
The war has rendered Gaza’s healthcare system nearly inoperable. Israel has destroyed 38 public hospitals, shut down 81 health centres, and disabled over 160 clinics. Since March, no medical supplies, fuel, or food have been allowed through border crossings, creating a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
Dr Amal Abu Abada, head of community centres at the Gaza Mental Health Programme, told The New Arab that chronic fear and repeated trauma were driving serious psychological and physiological conditions in children.
“The more the fear grows, the worse the health becomes,” she said.
2 Jun 2025
Source: newarab.com