The Ministry of Health in Gaza said that Israel has killed 16,278 Palestinian children during its genocide since October 7, at a rate of one child killed every 40 minutes.
Marwan al-Hams, director of field hospitals at the ministry, said during a press conference at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, that 16,278 children have been killed since the outbreak of the war, including 908 infants under one year old and 311 born during the war and subsequently killed, at a rate of one child every 40 minutes.
He added that the deterioration of the health situation has worsened after Israel closed the crossings since the beginning of March, disrupting primary healthcare services due to shelling or their location within evacuation zones, depriving thousands of children and pregnant women of medical services.
He stated that the shortage of medicines for women’s and children’s health has reached 51 percent, including nutritional supplements, vitamins, and infant formula. He noted that polio vaccines are still prohibited from entering, threatening the emergence of epidemics.
Al-Hamas pointed out that 57 people, including children, have died due to malnutrition and health complications, amid a severe shortage of therapeutic milk, particularly for children with special needs.
