"Israel" has murdered around 17,000 children since it launched its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, local authorities revealed on Sunday. 

Ismail al-Thawabta, the head of Gaza’s Government Media Office, told Anadolu that at least 16,859 children, including 171 infants, have been killed by the Israeli war machine since October 7. 

He further added that "around 25,973 Palestinian children now live in Gaza without one or both parents due to the Israeli aggression."

The Israeli war on Gaza has left an unbearable mark on the enclave's children, ensuring a lifetime's worth of challenges if they survive. 

Read more: 625,000 school-aged Gaza children struggling with severe trauma: UNRWA

UNICEF reports 50,000+ children in Gaza facing 'acute malnutrition'

Earlier in September, UNICEF reported that over 50,000 Palestinian children in Gaza are suffering from "acute malnutrition" due to the ongoing Israeli war. 

UNICEF’s Director of Child Nutrition and Development Victor Aguayo stated on Thursday, “We estimate that well over 50,000 children suffer from acute malnutrition and need lifesaving treatment, now.”

His comments follow warnings from the UN’s food agencies, FAO and WFP, which have called the situation in Gaza “one of the most severe food and nutrition crises in history.”

“It’s important to remember that nearly half of Gaza’s population who are suffering this devastation are children,” Aguayo emphasized.

Reflecting on his recent visit to Gaza, he said, “I saw how months of war on civilians and severe restrictions to humanitarian response have led to a collapse of the food, health, and protection systems, with catastrophic consequences for children’s nutrition.”