Children in Gaza are dying at a pace unseen in modern conflict, as famine and relentless bombardment drive the besieged territory deeper into an unfolding catastrophe. More than 18,000 children have been killed since October 2023, with hundreds of thousands now facing severe acute malnutrition as aid remains blocked at sealed crossings.

Hunger has crossed the famine threshold, with one in three people going days without food and over 320,000 young children at risk of starvation. Families are trapped in conditions described as “inhuman,” with skeletal infants and hollow-eyed children becoming the stark symbols of a crisis born of deliberate deprivation.

Despite mounting warnings, aid trucks remain stalled at the borders, choked by Israeli restrictions that deny Gaza the lifeline it needs. Even limited food distribution is tightly controlled under a system imposed in May, while bombardment and siege prevent meaningful relief efforts from reaching those who need them most.

With thousands already dead from hunger and disease, Gaza stands at the brink of a catastrophe that will haunt generations if crossings remain closed. For its starving children, time has run out, only an immediate ceasefire and unfettered access to aid can prevent an even greater horror.