In a harrowing plea to the world, Gaza’s Ministry of Health announced that over 16,278 children have been killed since the start of the Israeli assault on the enclave — a death toll rising by the hour as bombardment, famine, and medical collapse converge. These numbers, the ministry warned, are not just statistics, but a testament to a systematic campaign that has shattered childhood in Gaza.

The Ministry revealed that more than 300 children were born and killed during the same war, a grim symbol of a life cycle brutally ended before it began. Children have perished in their homes, in hospitals, and even while waiting in line for food — victims not only of airstrikes but of engineered starvation and medical neglect.

Gaza’s two million residents remain under total blockade, cut off from food, water, and healthcare. More than half of essential medicines for mothers and children are now unavailable. Infants are dying from malnutrition, dehydration, and preventable diseases, as even polio vaccines are barred from entry.

Health officials urged the global community to see beyond statements of concern and act with the urgency the crisis demands. “The world must understand: this is not about aid delays or unfortunate collateral damage. This is the deliberate destruction of a generation,” one spokesperson said.

From behind hospital walls and beneath the rubble, Gaza’s children are calling — not for charity, but for the right to live.