Gaza Children Dying from Cold, Malnutrition as Israel Blocks Vaccines and Aid – Doctor Warns
Gaza (Quds News Network)- Children in Gaza face death from cold, malnutrition, and disease due to Israel’s ongoing genocide and blockade, warns Dr. Marwan Al-Hams, director of field hospitals at the Health Ministry. He urged Arab, Muslim, and world leaders to intervene and stop the genocide while allowing healthy food and clean water into the strip.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Al-Hams confirmed that 32 children died from winter cold, while even more perished from malnutrition and lack of food. Preservatives in canned foods, he said, spread disease among children, sometimes leading to death.
Israel had violated a ceasefire deal with the resistance, blocking humanitarian aid from Gaza.
Israel also blocks polio vaccines, despite 622 children under 10 suffering from the disease. Al-Hams warned this could trigger outbreaks in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon. He demanded open borders to allow vaccines, food, and milk for Palestinians in desperate need.
Overcrowding among displaced families spreads epidemics like diarrhea and hepatitis. Nearly 300,000 people from Rafah now shelter in Khan Younis, while northern Gaza residents flee to Gaza City. Dirty water and poor nutrition make containing hepatitis impossible, Al-Hams said.
Israeli forces have completely destroyed over 60,000 water supply lines and six wastewater treatment plants, severely crippling Gaza’s water and sanitation systems.
The crisis has deepened due to severe fuel shortages, leaving municipalities unable to operate remaining equipment. During its invasion of Khan Younis, Israeli forces deliberately targeted and destroyed water pumps, sewage trucks, and the city’s entire water infrastructure. Municipal authorities now struggle to address the growing public health disaster without equipment, fuel, or functioning infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands without clean water or sanitation.
Israeli attacks kill and injure mostly women and children, who make up 75% of casualties. Over 35% are under 16, many arriving at hospitals with severe burns or amputations. Israel, Al-Hams said, uses new U.S.-supplied weapons, even targeting “safe zones” like displacement camps.
Since resuming its genocide on March 18, Israel has killed 1,449 Palestinians and wounded 3,647—mostly children and women, the Health Ministry reports.
Al-Hams stressed the urgent need for clean water, nutritious food, and medical supplies. Gaza’s children, he said, suffer from malnutrition and weak immunity in the 21st century—a crisis the world must not ignore.
