Israel kills a child in Gaza every 45 minutes.
That is an average of 30 children killed every day over the past 535 days.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed at least 17,400 children, including 15,600 who have been identified. Many more remain buried under the rubble, most presumed dead.
Many of the surviving children have endured the trauma of multiple wars, and all of them have spent their lives under the oppressive shadow of an Israeli blockade, affecting every aspect of their existence from birth.
What is left of Gaza’s children?
About half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are children.
Over the past 17 months, Israeli attacks have left their homes in ruins, destroyed their schools, and overwhelmed their healthcare facilities.
To put this in perspective, if you had a room of 100 children:
- 2 have been killed
- 2 are missing, presumed dead
- 3 have been wounded, many critically
- 5 have been orphaned or separated from their parents
- 5 require treatment for acute malnutrition
The rest of the children bear the invisible scars of war, trauma that affects their mental health, safety and future.
Who were these children Israel killed?
They were the sons and daughters of Gaza, each with a life that should have been filled with innocence and the joy of childhood.
Among the documented children killed, there were –
- at least 825 babies, not yet old enough to celebrate their first birthday
- 895 one-year-olds, killed before they could take their first steps
- 3,266 who died as preschoolers aged two to five, deprived of play, discovery and the simple wonders of growing up
- 4,032 who died aged six to 10, leaving behind empty classrooms and school uniforms that were hardly worn
- 3,646 who died aged 11 to 14, middle schoolers who had lived through three wars (2012, 2014, 2021), but were killed in the fourth
- and 2,949 who were 15 to 17, at the age when they were preparing to step into the world, leaving behind dreams of independence and futures never realised; the 17-year-olds lived through four wars (2008-09, 2012, 2014, 2021), and were killed in the fifth
- 8,899 who were sons and 6,714 were daughters
1,720 killed before their first steps
On March 18, Israeli forces launched 100 simultaneous strikes across the Gaza Strip, shattering a two-month-old ceasefire with Hamas.
Over the next 36 hours, 436 people were killed, including at least 183 children, 94 women, 34 elderly people, and 125 men.
Among the children killed was one-year-old Mohammed Abu Hilal, who died along with his seven-month-pregnant mother, Afnan, in an Israeli air attack on the al-Mawasi camp – a location Israel had claimed was a “safe zone”. His father Alaa had sent them there in the hope of keeping them safe.
“Oh, my dear son, go up to heaven, you’re going to find all your toys up there,” the heartbroken father cried as he held his son’s lifeless body.
Mohammed was among 895 one-year-olds – and 935 children named Mohammed – killed by Israeli attacks.
3,266 deprived of the joys of play
Reem was just three years old when she was killed, alongside her five-year-old brother Tarek, in an Israeli air attack on their family home in the Nuseirat refugee camp in November 2023.
Following her death, a video of her grandfather, Khaled Nabhan, cradling her lifeless body and calling her “Soul of my soul” spread widely, symbolising the immense suffering endured by Gaza’s population.
Khaled cherished his beloved granddaughter and recalled sadly how she would greet him with a hug every day.
On December 16, 2024, Khaled, who dedicated his time to helping those in need, was also killed by an Israeli strike.
4,032 leaving empty classrooms
Hind Rajab, five, was a bright, kind-hearted child full of life and curiosity, her family and neighbours said.
On January 29, 2024, Hind found herself the only survivor in a blood-soaked car filled with the bodies of her family.
They had been targeted by an Israeli tank as they tried to flee Israeli bombardment on Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood. Hind was left alone but managed to call the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS).
In her final moments, she pleaded for help over the phone, her terrified cries echoing across the world.
“I’m so scared, please come. Please send someone to take me,” she repeated during a harrowing three-hour conversation with emergency services that Israel was blocking from reaching her.
Her body was discovered 12 days later alongside those of her family and the medics who had attempted to save her.
The Hind Rajab Foundation continues to honour her memory and seek justice for her and others affected by Israel’s war on Gaza.
3,646 killed before they could grow up
On October 19, 2023, an Israeli air strike struck Gaza’s oldest church, Saint Porphyrius, killing at least 18 people.
Among those killed were siblings, Suhail Ramez al-Souri (14), Julie Ramez al-Souri (12) and Majd Ramez al-Souri (10).
Their heartbroken father recounted the devastating moment his children were killed while seeking refuge inside the church.
“We thought this was our safe haven,” he said through tears, “Our last refuge, in the house of God.”
“They bombed my angels without warning. They killed our children, the children of cousins, relatives,” the grieving father added.
2,949 futures never realised
Mahmoud wanted to be a journalist, just like his father.
Determined to share the stories of his homeland with the world, the 15-year-old, known as “young Wael”, together with his sister Khuloud, started recording videos documenting the effects of Israel’s escalating violence on Gaza.
“In Gaza, there is no place safe … this is the [fiercest] and most violent war we have lived [through] in Gaza. Help us to stay alive,” the young Dahdouh duo pleaded.
On the night of October 25, 2023, Mahmoud was killed, along with his mother, seven-year-old sister Sham, one-and-a-half-year-old nephew Adam and 21 others, in an Israeli air raid on the Nuseirat camp where the family had sought shelter after being told by the Israeli army to move south for their safety.
The stories of children like Mohammed, Reem, Hind, the al-Souri siblings, and Mahmoud reflect the countless childhoods stolen in Gaza, leaving behind memories of innocence and futures that will never be realised.