Al-Barsh: Over 21,510 children killed, 41,283 injured, and 58,554 orphaned in Israeli aggression on Gaza

GAZA, April 04 (YPA) – Director General of the Gaza-based Palestinian Ministry of Health, Dr. Munir al-Barsh, affirmed on Saturday, on Palestinian Children’s Day (April 5), that Gaza is enduring a severe humanitarian crisis. Since the onset of the Zionist aggression on October 7, 2023, over 21,510 children have been martyred and more than 41,283 others injured.

In a post on the “X” platform, al-Barsh emphasized that the deepest suffering for Gaza’s children extends beyond physical wounds to the profound loss of parents. The Israeli aggression has left over 58,554 orphans who have lost one or both parents, with many losing their entire world in an instant.

He further revealed that hundreds of children have succumbed to hunger, fear, and the siege’s harsh conditions, including 579 who died from these dire circumstances, 269 infants under one year old who never had a chance to live, and 24 children still unaccounted for—seemingly vanished beneath rubble or taken without farewell.

Al-Barsh also reported 1,268 cases of brain and spinal cord injuries among children, along with 864 amputations and disabilities, underscoring that children in Gaza are growing up amid unbearable pain.

He highlighted that approximately 4,000 children await medical treatment outside Gaza, caught between life and death as they await decisions, border crossings, or humanitarian aid.

“On this day, when candles should be lit in celebration of childhood and voices raised for children’s rights everywhere, Gaza stands apart—not celebrating, but mourning its young martyrs,” al-Barsh concluded.

AA