‘Between pain and fear’: Gaza children bear cost of ongoing Israeli attacks
The suffering of children in Gaza continues unabated due to Israeli attacks despite the announcement of a ‘ceasefire’ in October 2025. Gaza City, Palestine
The suffering of children in Gaza continues unabated due to Israeli attacks despite the announcement of a ‘ceasefire’ in October 2025. Gaza City, Palestine – Seven-year-old Hala Lubbad lies on her bed in al-Shifa Hospital, her small body weighed down by her injuries. “Where is my mother? Where is my father?” she repeats, to no answer. The child’s 42-year-old policeman father and 40-year-old teacher mother, along with two of her siblings aged 10 and 17 – were killed in the early hours of June 2 when an Israeli attack hit the family home in Gaza City and sparked a fire. The Palestinian girl’s aunt, Haneen Lubbad, who now cares for her, says it happened when everyone was sleeping. “Hala was there among them … she was the only one who survived, along with her brother Mohammed, 16 years old,” says Haneen. “The rest are gone,” adds the 28-year-old, tears filling her eyes. Nearly two weeks later, Hala, who suffered severe burns in the fire, still does not have a clear understanding of what happened, only scattered memories. Speaking quietly, Haneen says that doctors and psychologists have advised the family to be careful in how to tell her that her parents and siblings are no longer alive. “If she hears it all at once, she may collapse,” she adds. But the truth still seeps through the cracks of daily life. “She asks about them every day,” says Haneen. “She cries constantly. She says: ‘I want my mother, I want my father. I want to talk to them.’ She wants their pictures … she keeps asking why they don’t visit her anymore,” adds the aunt.
Hala has undergone several operations since arriving at the hospital, but doctors are warning she urgently needs to travel abroad to prevent further deterioration of her condition and possible loss of fingers due to worsening tissue damage. “Hala needs medical and psychological treatment, as well as urgent rehabilitation outside the Strip,” says Haneen. “She was a normal child, she used to laugh and play … full of life,” she adds. “Now she is between pain and fear. Her body is exhausted … and her psychological state is even worse.” 17,000 children have become orphans Hala is just one of thousands of children who survived Israeli attacks only to face a devastating reality. According to United Nations estimations, 17,000 children have either been orphaned or separated from their parents or primary caregivers since Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza began in October 2023. They include children who lost both parents and others who are the sole survivors of entire families. Psychologists warn that they face compounded risks of severe trauma, anxiety, depression and loss of safety and family identity during a critical stage of development. Overall, at least 21,289 Palestinian children have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, and 44,500 others wounded, according to the UN children’s agency UNICEF. The suffering did not stop with the announcement of last October’s “ceasefire”, as Israel keeps violating the agreement with near-daily attacks that have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians since. According to UNICEF, at least 60 boys and 40 girls were killed in the first three months of the “ceasefire” alone – about one child per day – but the actual number is likely higher.
The BriefWire