‘Skin and bones’: Gaza’s infants starve under Israeli siege

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Guardian
5 Jul 2025 13:51
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Gaza’s newborns are wasting away, with their mothers too malnourished to feed them, as “Israel” blocks vital aid and baby formula.

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Najia al-Najjar feeds her 5-month-old baby, Yousef, who suffers from malnutrition, at a clinic in Nasser hospital, Khan Younis, Gaza, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 (AP)

Doctors in Gaza are sounding urgent alarms over what they describe as a fast-deepening humanitarian catastrophe. As reported by The Guardian, a critical shortage of infant formula is putting hundreds of newborns and infants at immediate risk of death.

With “Israel” continuing to impose severe restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave, medical professionals warn that Gaza’s youngest and most vulnerable are being pushed to the brink of starvation.

“I can’t begin to describe how bad things are,” said Dr. Ahmad al-Farra, head of pediatrics at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, told The Guardian. “We have enough formula for about one week. But we also have infants outside the hospital without any access to milk. It’s catastrophic.”

Dr. al-Farra added that the specialized formula for premature babies had already run out. The remaining supply is being rationed among newborns, though demand far exceeds what’s available.

Malnourished mothers, starving babies

For many mothers like Hanaa al-Taweel, the crisis began the day their children were born. Living in the al-Nuseirat refugee camp and suffering from severe malnutrition herself, the 27-year-old mother of five explained that she was never able to breastfeed her 13-month-old son. “I try to keep a small piece of bread next to me when he sleeps because he wakes up asking for food,” she told The Guardian. “I fear they will die from hunger, thirst, and disease.”

The crisis is part of a broader collapse in food and medical access across Gaza. Since the genocide in Gaza began in October 2023, at least 66 Palestinian children have died of starvation, according to local health authorities. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have accused “Israel” of using starvation as a weapon of war, calling it part of a broader campaign to inflict genocide against Palestinians.

'What on earth is baby formula going to do against the security of Israel?'

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israeli-backed aid initiative, has drawn harsh criticism from humanitarian agencies. While GHF claims to have delivered more than 52 million meals in five weeks, it does not include baby formula in its food packages. Aid workers say the initiative has failed to meet urgent needs and is riddled with logistical and ethical problems.

Medical teams entering Gaza often bring formula in their own luggage, only to see it seized. In one such case, Dr. Diana Nazzal, a Palestinian-German ophthalmologist, said Israeli officials seized 10 cans of specialized formula from her suitcase. “What on earth is baby formula going to do against the security of the state of Israel?” she asked.

Inside Gaza, a can of formula now costs up to $50 on the black market, a tenfold increase from prewar prices. With many mothers malnourished or deceased, formula is no longer optional; it’s a lifeline.

“I know breastfeeding builds a bond,” said Nourhan Barakat, a 25-year-old displaced mother in Khan Younis. “But due to lack of food, I couldn’t continue. What can I do?”

'This generation is being targeted'

The crisis extends beyond hunger. According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, roughly 112 children are admitted to Gaza hospitals each day for malnutrition. Doctors warn that early-life undernutrition has irreversible consequences.

“This whole generation is being targeted,” said Dr. al-Farra. “Even if nutrition becomes available later, the damage is permanent.”

Dr. Thaer Ahmad, part of a medical mission organized by Avaaz, added, “When you see babies start to die, panic and alarms should start to flare. Essentially, children are the first to die in starvation crises.”

'Israel' kills starved Palestinians at aid sites

Getting aid through GHF distribution sites is hazardous. Just last month, over 500 Palestinians were shot and killed by Israeli forces while waiting in line for food. GHF operates only four remote distribution centers, compared to the 400 sites previously run by the UN before the war. Humanitarian groups have described GHF as fundamentally flawed, and possibly complicit in war crimes.

The Israeli genocide has so far killed over 56,000 Palestinians since October 7, 2023.

“You should see the children arriving,” said Dr. al-Farra. “They’re just skin and bones. It’s horrifying. The real solution is to end the war, open the crossings, and allow baby formula in.”