Gaza's Palestinian children are enduring unimaginable suffering as Israel's relentless blockade triggers a man-made famine, condemning tens of thousands to starvation in displacement camps.
According to Al Jazeera, Huda Abu Naja, a 12-year-old girl, lies emaciated in her family's tent in Deir el-Balah, her body a stark testament to the crisis.
Her weight has dropped from 35 kilograms to just 20 kilograms since March, when Israel sealed the borders, cutting off vital food supplies.
Somia Abu Naja, Huda's mother, recounts how her daughter spent three months in hospitals without improvement, only to witness five children die of starvation at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
This heartbreaking story exemplifies the broader catastrophe affecting hundreds of thousands of children across the besieged enclave.
Israel's refusal to allow sufficient humanitarian aid has exacerbated the plight, turning Gaza into a graveyard for its youngest inhabitants.
Local health authorities report that an estimated 132,000 children under five are at risk of death from acute malnutrition by June 2026, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
Dr. Ahmad al-Farra, chief paediatric physician at Nasser Hospital, reveals that 120 children are currently receiving treatment there, while tens of thousands more languish in camps without adequate support.
He warns that these children will bear the lifelong scars of malnutrition, as overwhelmed hospitals lack the resources to combat the crisis effectively.
Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, estimates that 320,000 children are in severe malnutrition, with even wounded patients succumbing to the effects of Israel's blockade.
Israel's actions have not only blocked food and medicine but have also led to deadly incidents at aid distribution points, where over 2,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and US contractors since late May.
This Israeli-backed scheme, known as GHF, has been widely condemned as a failure that endangers lives rather than saving them.
Despite mounting evidence, Israel's foreign ministry denies the existence of famine in Gaza, dismissing international reports as unfounded.
However, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has labeled the situation a "man-made disaster, a moral indictment, and a failure of humanity itself."
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher highlights the absurdity of starvation occurring mere hundreds of meters from food supplies, trapped at borders due to Israeli restrictions.
He calls for Israel to permit a massive influx of aid at the scale desperately needed to avert further deaths.
Humanitarian groups echo these demands, criticizing the limited supplies Israel has allowed as woefully inadequate amid global outrage.
The IPC's famine classification has intensified pressure on Israel to lift its blockade, yet the suffering persists, underscoring the urgent need for accountability and intervention.
As children like Huda fight for survival, the international community must confront Israel's role in this humanitarian catastrophe.