In Gaza, childhood has become a battlefield. In the uneasy silence of the ceasefire, the sound of war lingers in their bodies and minds. Tiny bodies carry wounds of wars they never chose. Some children sleep beside graves that hold their entire families. Others wake screaming in the dark, missing limbs, homes, or names they loved. For two years, Israel’s genocide has reshaped life, and death, for an entire generation. The world may not yet grasp the full scale of this genocide until every testimony and number is documented. Israel’s assault has left a deep, irreversible scar on Gaza’s 2.4 million people, especially on children, who make up nearly half the population. Their suffering is physical, psychological, and generational. Quds News Network spoke with officials, medical professionals, and families whose children have been permanently injured. Their accounts reveal how Israeli attacks, often carried out with US-made weapons, have devastated children’s bodies and futures, even before birth.
Scarred Tiny Bodies
As the skies over Gaza screamed with missiles, massacres followed. Thousands of children were slaughtered. Others survived, disfigured, amputated, or burned. Zaher Al-Wihaidi, Director of the Information Unit at the Health Ministry, told QNN that around 170,000 people have been injured, nearly 44,000 of them children. Eighteen percent are in critical condition, requiring long-term rehabilitation for injuries such as amputations, fractures, burns, and brain trauma. Twelve-year-old Hala Shukri Dahleez was playing on a swing when an Israeli missile struck nearby. “My hair got caught in the swing chain,” she said. “When it flipped, my scalp was ripped off along with my hair.” Her mother said repeated procedures failed to heal her scalp. Infections worsened, leaving Hala in constant pain. 
Malnutrition Scars
Since the start of Israel’s genocidal campaign and the closure of crossings, Gaza has been pushed into famine. Food has become a memory. Families survive on lentils, if anything. According to the Health Ministry, 650,000 children are at risk of death due to malnutrition, including 40,000 infants without baby formula. More than 5,200 children require urgent medical evacuation. Ruba Omar, a community health worker at Ard El-Insan Benevolent Association, said that even children with wheat allergies are dying because alternatives like corn flour no longer exist. “We recorded three deaths from wheat allergy alone,” she said. Eight-year-old Huda Abu Al-Naja weighed 30 kilograms before the genocide. Her mother said Huda had never needed a doctor until the siege began. “When food disappeared, she started losing weight, her hair fell out, her skin peeled,” her mother said. Huda was diagnosed with acute malnutrition. After seven months of suffering, she died waiting for Rafah Crossing to open. 
Seleen Wadi, a child under two, suffers from severe malnutrition and a critical deficiency of protein and albumin. Her frail body shows pronounced swelling in her feet. Her mother said Seleen cannot walk or perform any physical activity. “I pray she recovers if we can access food, fruits, mineral water, meat, and eggs,” she added.
At Nasser Medical Hospital, physical therapist Yara Mohammad surveyed displaced families in Khan Younis. “We examined 400 children in a single day,” she said. “Twenty-three had malnutrition. Most couldn’t walk or crawl at the normal age.” Yara explained that the blockade has also halted vaccinations. Israel prevented the entry of the rotavirus vaccine, which protects against chronic diarrhea, worsening malnutrition. “Even bananas, which help restore potassium, have vanished,” she added. The Health Ministry reported 453 deaths from malnutrition, including 150 children. Only 80% of Gaza’s population remains vaccinated. Children now face the dual threat of hunger and disease. 
Mark on Gaza’s Unborn
Even unborn children have not been spared. Dr. Ziad Abu Taha, an obstetrician at Nasser Hospital, said Israel’s bombing, the blockade, and displacement have led to a surge in miscarriages, premature births, and birth defects. In 2025 alone, 400 cases of birth defects were recorded. He explained that toxic chemicals from Israeli weapons cause anemia and hinder fetal growth. Babies are being born with brain and heart defects and hydrocephalus. Trauma and malnutrition among pregnant women have increased fertility problems and miscarriages. 
