Save The Children Warns of ‘Mass Killing’ of Gaza Children Due to Israel's Use of Starvation

Jason Lee, the country director of Save the Children in the occupied Palestinian territories, expressed grave concerns on Wednesday, highlighting the urgent plight of children in Gaza, especially in northern areas, where a tight Israeli siege has put them at high risk of starvation.

“What we are witnessing in Gaza is a mass killing of children in slow motion because there is no food left and nothing getting to them. They are dying because the world has failed to protect them, and now families are fleeing to Israel’s next military target to avoid starvation, caught in a death trap,” Lee stated.

Lee emphasized the need for immediate action by the international community to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. He underscored the urgency, stating, “Whenever we learn lessons from the past, we resolve to never again let ‘atrocity crimes’ unfold. The test is now right in front of us. Children are being starved while trucks of food are denied access and continued fighting prevent delivery of the little aid coming into Gaza. We are failing that test.”

“Unless action is taken by the international community, to uphold their responsibilities under the Geneva Conventions and prevent the most serious crimes of international concern – including the use of starvation as a method of warfare - history will and should judge us all,” he added.

Save the Children is urgently calling for a definitive ceasefire to protect the lives of children in Gaza, along with the safe delivery of humanitarian aid supplies to the territory. Lee urged donor governments and the international community to swiftly resume and increase funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

Meanwhile, reports indicate that at least seven children have died at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Jabalia, northern Gaza, due to malnutrition and dehydration. Two more children have died at the al-Shifa Hospital for similar reasons. The Israeli military's restrictions on delivering humanitarian supplies to northern Gaza have left thousands of children without sufficient food and medication.

The Tel Aviv regime has cut the free flow of water, food, fuel, and power to the Gaza Strip since early October, while placing restrictions on international aid sent to the region. This has exacerbated the challenges faced by aid agencies like UNRWA, which are struggling to assist Gazans amid ongoing Israeli bombardments.

Since the start of Israel's latest aggression on Gaza in early October, nearly 30,000 people, including 14,000 children, have been killed in the region.