Seven-year-old Hala Lubbad lies in al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, her small body covered in burns. She lost her parents and two siblings in an Israeli strike on June 2 that hit the family home and sparked a fire.

Her aunt Haneen Lubbad, now caring for her, says the attack happened while everyone was sleeping. “Hala and her 16-year-old brother Mohammed survived. The rest are gone,” she says, tears filling her eyes.

Hala still does not know her parents are dead. Doctors and psychologists advise the family to break the news gradually to avoid psychological collapse. “She asks about them every day, cries constantly. She says: ‘I want my mother, I want my father’,” Haneen adds.

Hala has undergone several surgeries but doctors warn she urgently needs treatment abroad to prevent further deterioration and possible loss of fingers due to tissue damage.

According to the United Nations, 17,000 children have been orphaned or separated from parents since Israel’s genocidal war began in October 2023. UNICEF reports at least 21,289 Palestinian children killed and 44,500 wounded.

The suffering continues despite a “ceasefire” announced last October, as Israel violates the agreement with near-daily attacks, killing over 1,000 Palestinians since. At least 100 children were killed in the first three months of the ceasefire alone.

Two-month-old Mohammed al-Khatib is another victim. His mother was killed while breastfeeding during an Israeli strike on May 25. Mohammed’s left leg was amputated, and his arm is at risk.

His father Ahmed al-Khatib says, “This child will grow up without a mother, without a leg, and perhaps without an arm. What will be left of his life?”

Health officials warn that delays in transferring critically wounded children abroad mean losing any chance of recovery. Gaza now has one of the highest rates of child amputees per capita in the world.

Source: www.aljazeera.com