“Promise we will rebuild it.”

This is what the children and youth of Gaza carve onto the walls of their destroyed schools, homes, and buildings. They cling to the hope that the war will end and a day of peace will come, allowing them to rebuild what was lost. Their hope remains unshaken, and rightly so—they will rise again.

But what has brought them to this devastating situation? What mental state has pushed them to think this way, especially the children? Imagine their condition, witnessing everything shattered before their eyes—their schools, their childhood, their friends, their families, and so much more.

 The current state of children in Gaza is so harrowing that even putting it into words feels overwhelming. Just type “Gaza children” into Google, and the results are heartbreaking, declaring that Gaza has turned into a graveyard for its children.

Stories emerge of two-year-olds, five-year-olds, and entire families lost, while some never even got the chance to be born. The situation is so dire that countless children are left homeless, hungry, and forced to survive on the sands by the sea, with no shelter and no relief in sight.

On top of that, as temperatures continue to drop, they don’t even have spare clothes to change into, let alone warm clothing. How can they possibly endure the freezing cold and the icy sea breeze without any protection? For the children of Gaza, the only thing they have to sleep on or cover themselves with is the cold, harsh sand.

Sand, Starvation, and Suffering

Currently, 95% of Gaza’s population is facing starvation—an almost unimaginable crisis not caused by any natural disaster but by human actions. First, airstrikes destroyed families in Gaza, reduced homes to rubble, and left people homeless, forcing them to sleep under open skies. Now, humanitarian aid is being blocked at borders, deliberately creating a state of famine.

The situation is so dire that when displaced, hungry Palestinians receive flour, they rush to grab it in desperation. Even the flour spilled on the ground during the chaos is picked up by children and carefully gathered into bags to take home.

Even when these displaced children manage to bring home some flour, many times the strong waves of the sea wash it away, as Gaza’s civilians, living on the bare ground, struggle to protect their meager food from the elements. The little flour they manage to salvage often becomes wet and unusable.

Each day is a relentless fight for survival. Children, driven by hunger, wander through the ruins, searching for anything edible.

They search through rubble, stand in long queues for aid that may never arrive, and walk for miles with empty stomachs, hoping to find scraps of food to keep themselves and their families alive. For them, survival has become a daily battle against hunger, despair, and an unyielding sense of loss.

Tonight, many of us will sleep on comfortable beds, wrapped in blankets, with our heads resting on pillows. But the innocent children of Gaza, who have no connection to this war and have committed no crime, are forced to sleep on the streets or unprotected sand.

You might think, “Many people sleep on the streets in other countries, too, don’t they?” But the situation here is different. In other places, even the poorest who sleep on the streets can access drinking water and food to survive.

If they fall sick, government hospitals provide them with medicine and treatment. If they contract a contagious disease, they can still receive care. But what is the reality in Gaza today? There’s no water, food, hospitals, ambulances, and doctors available to provide even basic treatment. This is the harsh truth they face every single day.

Gaza in Numbers

The Israeli army has destroyed over 700 water wells, leaving Gaza in a dire water crisis. Across the region, each person now has access to only 1.5 to 1.8 liters (51 to 61 ounces) of water per day—barely enough to survive. Meanwhile, over 1.7 million people have been infected with contagious diseases due to unsanitary living conditions and the lack of clean water.

The relentless attacks have not spared Gaza’s healthcare system. Continuous bombardments have destroyed over 600 hospitals, leaving the sick and injured with nowhere to turn. 

The situation is worsened by the devastating loss of medical personnel—at least 986 healthcare workers have been killed, including 165 doctors, 260 nurses, 184 health associates, 76 pharmacists, and 300 management and support staff.

Stats source

Thousands of children in Gaza are trapped in a state of mental shock and fear. They live with constant questions weighing on their young minds: Will I see tomorrow’s sunrise? Will there be food to eat tomorrow? Will I have to stand in long lines again just to get a small piece of bread? Can I even play today?

At an age when they should be playing and laughing, they are forced to witness destruction and endure unimaginable suffering. They don’t know how long this war will continue, what more horrors they’ll have to see, or how many more days they’ll have to sleep under clouds of smoke, on cold sand, and beneath the open sky. Even their innocent hearts carry the heavy burden of uncertainty and fear.

Until now, whatever we’ve heard, seen, or read about Gaza’s children, the reality on the ground is far worse than we could ever imagine. The situation for Gaza’s civilians, especially its children, is beyond heartbreaking. The Israeli army has created a reality so devastating that today, children are choosing death over life.

Yes, what you’ve read is true. 

A survey conducted among 500 children in Gaza revealed harrowing results: nearly 96% of them feel that death is near and that it’s only a matter of time before they lose their lives. Out of these, 49% openly expressed that they would rather embrace death than continue to endure the horrors of war, constant displacement, and unending famine.

These children are exhausted—worn down by a war they never asked for, by the loss of their homes and families, and by the unbearable hunger and fear that haunt their every moment. To them, death feels like a release, an escape from a life that offers only pain and suffering.

Israel Shows No Signs of Stopping

Recently, on December 13, 2024, an airstrike targeted a post office where people were taking shelter, killing 30 civilians and leaving over 50 seriously injured. The Israeli army continues its assaults as if the lives of Gaza’s civilians hold no value in this world.

The way people are being killed is so brutal that even animals wouldn’t be treated this way. The constant violence and fear of death have plunged the people of Gaza into a state of severe fear, aggression, withdrawal, and overwhelming hopelessness.

Reports further reveal that families with disabled, injured, or unaccompanied children are suffering the most. Such circumstances exist because the pain and suffering of the people of Gaza seem endless. One tragedy barely ends before another begins, yet another disaster strikes before that can settle.

According to a survey, 88% of Gaza’s population has been displaced multiple times, with 21% displaced six or more times. This relentless cycle of loss and upheaval has taken a severe toll on their mental health. Fear grips their minds, constant displacement and hunger torment them, and these hardships are having a devastating impact on innocent children and their families.

Many have reached their breaking point, worn down to the extent that they have lost the will to live, with countless children and adults alike longing for death as an escape from this unbearable reality.

The Women are suffering

The situation for women in Gaza, especially pregnant women, is even more dire than that of the children. Currently, there are 73,000 pregnant women in Gaza, and if you didn’t already know, over 63 multi-specialty hospitals have been destroyed. As for smaller clinics and basic healthcare facilities, their condition is beyond deplorable.

These women lack adequate nutrition, essential medicines, and even access to clean air. The fear and stress of war have worsened their conditions significantly. A critical question looms over Gaza: how will these women deliver their babies? And if they do, how will these newborns receive the care they need in a medical system that has been obliterated?

An estimated 155,000 pregnant women and new mothers are struggling to access even basic maternal and newborn healthcare. Preterm and complicated births have increased, and healthcare workers report that among the 130 women giving birth daily, healthy-weight babies are rarely seen anymore.

Even necessities like sanitary pads, essential medicines, and protein supplements are unavailable. Aid is blocked at the borders, over 600 water wells have been deliberately destroyed, and in the cruelest of ironies, people are now forced to loot for food to survive.

Economically, the devastation is staggering. Most families in Gaza survive on just £3.28 ($4.15) daily, with 80% of breadwinners unemployed. In a shocking revelation, 24% of families surveyed are headed by children as young as 16 or younger.

The women of Gaza, especially those carrying the next generation, are fighting not just for survival but for basic dignity in a world that seems to have turned its back on them.

What Next for Children and Women in Gaza?

The international community must act immediately before the catastrophic effects on Gaza’s children become irreversible. Surveys already indicate that the damage has been done. If immediate action is not taken, these children will struggle to grow mentally and emotionally. 

They will remain trapped in their painful memories, unable to heal, and this trauma will inevitably impact future generations, affecting their lives and even their health. In this way, entire generations risk being wiped out, not just physically but mentally and emotionally.

A ceasefire must be the first step to allow organizations like War Child and other humanitarian agencies to address the severe psychological damage Gaza’s children are enduring. 

The CTCCM and War Child Alliance have urged the international community to prioritize mental health interventions and provide urgent humanitarian assistance for the children of Gaza. They have emphasized that addressing the root causes of this crisis is critical to preventing further harm to future generations.

For women, the need for immediate humanitarian aid is equally dire. Without aid, not only will babies die, but their mothers will also succumb to the lack of proper medical care and essential supplies. The spread of disease will only worsen the situation, leaving Gaza in an even deeper humanitarian crisis.

A ceasefire is not just necessary—it is the only option left to save Gaza from complete annihilation. It is the bare minimum required to ensure its people’s survival and give them a chance to rebuild their lives and future.

“It’s a suffering I wouldn’t wish upon any woman” — Nada Abdelasalem, a Gaza war survivor. 

It’s been over 11 months since Israel invaded Gaza, and the situation continues to go from bad to worse.

The war has not only impacted lives but has deeply shaken humanity, especially when women and children are specifically targeted.

UN Women estimates that 70% of the total casualties in the Gaza war are women and children, with 10,000 women among the dead, including 6,000 mothers who have left behind 19,000 orphaned children. 

Unfortunately, for the women who are surviving, their existence feels no different from being trapped in a living coffin. They might wish they had been killed in the invasion instead.

Since the Onset of Israel – Gaza War…

The women in the war-affected region are helpless. They are crushed under mountains of sorrow. 

First, there is the unbearable pain of losing their children. Then, for some, it’s the grief of losing a brother; for others, their parents, and for many, their husbands. 

On top of all this, they have no roof over their heads, and they are forced to live in refugee camps without access to clean water, food, or basic hygiene. 

The weight of these tragedies is overwhelming, leaving them with little hope and unimaginable suffering.

The lack of necessities for survival has impacted their overall well-being and dignity. 

“We lived in a cozy three-bedroom apartment with a kitchen, built by my husband after years of hard work in construction. But when the war erupted, we lost everything, including my five-month pregnancy. 

We are forced to live in a single tent, with toilets that aren’t even enclosed by four walls. I can’t shower regularly to maintain proper hygiene. I feel like my privacy is constantly being violated.” — Reham conflict survivor. 

The situation for women in Gaza is so dire that they don’t even have extra clothes to change into. Many were forced to flee their homes wearing only the clothes on their backs.

“I wear a prayer robe for everything – to sleep in, to go out,” — Nada, a war-torn victim. 

The situation is even worse, as nearly 1 million women and children now have almost no food, clean water, restrooms, and sanitary pads. It has created a poor environment, as diseases spread rapidly in these unbearable living conditions.

The Doors of Aid Are Almost Closed

What could be worse than all of this? Sadly, for the women of Gaza, their suffering goes even deeper as they endure conditions even more horrific than what has already been described.

According to the World Health Organization and UN agencies, there have been 117 attacks on Gaza’s health infrastructure since the war began. 

These attacks have led to the closure of 64% of primary healthcare centers, and half of the hospitals are now non-operational.

The most heartbreaking aspect of this situation is that every day, 150 women in Gaza give birth to a child. With fuel, medicine, water, and health supplies rapidly diminishing, women are forced to give birth without anesthesia. 

“The war turned our lives upside down,” Etemad Assaf says, rubbing the clothes with her hand.

“Every night, I feel like I’m going to give birth now because I’m so tired.”

“You see? Is this a suitable life for a pregnant woman? A tent, cold, open air, and the lack of the necessities of life?”

Additionally, it is estimated that 15% of these pregnant women experience birth complications, requiring basic or comprehensive obstetric care. Sadly, several women have reported dying during or before giving birth to a child. 

Furthermore, according to a survey, around 50,000 women are currently pregnant, and more than 690,000 menstruating women and girls have limited access to menstrual hygiene products.

Help for diseases is a distant thought; right now, the condition of women in Gaza is so dire that they don’t even have access to basic medical facilities.

Being Women in Gaza 

For women in Gaza, it feels like they are forced to endure the constant fear of death every day—whether from bombings, the lack of healthcare resources, or the unbearable grief of losing their loved ones.

Survival is becoming increasingly difficult with each passing day, especially for women who are pregnant or have recently given birth. 

Many areas are grappling with severe hunger and food shortages, which makes it even more challenging for women to care for their children and newborns. Many have lost their breadwinners and are now relying solely on humanitarian aid to survive.

Finding milk for their children has become nearly impossible, and providing basic nutrition is a constant struggle. 

As the situation worsens, these women are forced to make heartbreaking choices, trying to sustain their families with whatever little they can find. 

The lack of food, medical care, and safety is pushing them to the brink, with no end in sight to their suffering.

Their only hope for improvement lies in the end of the war and the continuous flow of humanitarian aid and essential resources. Without peace and consistent support, their struggle for survival will only grow more desperate.

Despite the lack of sustainability and safe access, the UN has dispatched life-saving and humanitarian aid to Gaza. 

Unfortunately, this aid is insufficient, and more support is urgently needed for the women of Gaza, particularly for pregnant women and newborn babies.

It is crucial to note that no fuel has entered Gaza since October 7, leaving food, electricity, and other necessities out of reach for its residents. 

The only thing sustaining them is hope—the hope that the conflict will end soon and that essential supplies like medicines, healthcare resources, and food will once again become accessible.