The war of genocide: 40% of 43,000 killed by Israeli forces in Gaza are children

Family members say their final goodbyes to a child killed by Israeli airstrikes in a morgue in the city of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, October 25, 2024.
Photo: AP

The Israeli genocidal war on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip has resulted in the martyrdom of 42,885 people and injured another, the Government's Media Office in Gaza revealed.

Israeli occupation forces committed at least 3,738 massacres in the Gaza Strip, throughout the 385 days of war.

The Media Office has made clear that the 42,885 martyrs in Gaza only include those who have been transferred to hospitals for burial and whose identities were confirmed by authorities. Additionally, 10,000 individuals were reported missing throughout the war, many of whom have been killed and their bodies have not been found or remain stuck underneath the rubble.

Moreover, 17,210 children have been martyred since the start of the war on Gaza. The Media Office shared additional details stating that 1,047 medical workers, 85 emergency workers, and 177 journalists have been martyred.

At least 1,206 households have had their entire family members killed by Israeli occupation forces.

As for the effects of the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip and the blocking of crucial humanitarian aid, 37 Palestinians were starved to death, while 3,500 Palestinian children are in life-threatening conditions due to malnutrition.

Additionally, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that two children were killed in the intensive care unit at Kamal Adwan Hospital, in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, after the hospital was not allowed any fuel for power and its oxygen station was destroyed by occupation forces.

In terms of the systematic destruction of the besieged territory's vital infrastructure, Israeli occupation forces attacked 197 shelter centers, forced 34 hospitals out of service, destroyed 205 governmental headquarters, and destroyed 126 schools and universities.

The occupation forces launched an arrest campaign from the Gaza Strip that affected 5,280 people, including 310 health workers and 38 journalists whose names were known.

In Beit Lahia, the Kamal Adwan Hospital is facing an increasingly "alarming"  situation, where Israeli occupation forces have besieged the medical center.

A total of 600 individuals are besieged within the hospital, which goes hand in hand with the Israeli occupation's continued attempts to ethnically cleanse the northern Gaza Strip.

The Ministry of Health reported that three ambulances and a transport vehicle were destroyed, hindering relief and transportation operations. The solar system in the hospital was also destroyed, further worsening the situation. Moreover, Israeli occupation forces continue to terrorize medical staff, patients, and companions in the hospital, by firing their weapons and assaulting individuals.

These circumstances "require urgent intervention by humanitarian organizations, to ensure everyone's safety," the ministry urged.

An UNRWA worker and displaced Palestinians check damage inside a UN school-turned-refuge in al-Shati refugee camp near Gaza City in Gaza Strip, on October 19, 2024.
Photo: AFP

Israel passed a law on Monday banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), according to multiple reports, ‘The Hill’ writes.

Israel’s legislature, the Knesset, voted 92-10 to bar the UNRWA from operating on Israeli soil on Monday, notes the Associated Press. “It was approved by the plenary: UNRWA activities in the territory of the State of Israel will be stopped,” the Knesset said.

Another law possibly cutting off diplomatic ties between Israel and UNRWA also passed the Israeli legislature, according to the AP. In the wake of the U.N. receiving notification from Israel’s foreign ministry, both the law on UNRWA activity in Israel and on diplomatic ties have the chance of taking effect in up to 3 months, per a spokesperson for a co-sponsor backing part of UNRWA-targeting legislation.

“UNRWA workers involved in terrorist activities against Israel must be held accountable. Since avoiding a humanitarian crisis is also essential, sustained humanitarian aid must remain available in Gaza now and in the future,” a post on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s account on X read Monday.

“In the 90 days before this legislation takes effect – and after – we stand ready to work with our international partners to ensure Israel continues to facilitate humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not threaten Israel’s security,” the post continued.

UNRWA’s leader, Philippe Lazzarini, criticized the vote calling it “unprecedented.”

“The vote by the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) against UNRWA this evening is unprecedented and sets a dangerous precedent. It opposes the UN Charter and violates the State of Israel’s obligations under international law,” he wrote, calling it “the latest in the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and delegitimize its role towards providing human-development assistance and services to #Palestine Refugees.”

read more in our Telegram-channel https://t.me/The_International_Affairs