The Instagram profile of Rachel Accurso, known widely as Ms. Rachel, resembles that of a typical influencer beloved for her educational content for toddlers and practical parenting tips.

Wearing a pink hairband and denim dungarees, the 42-year-old early childhood educator and mother-of-two shares advice on potty training and emotional support for overwhelmed parents.

But in 2023, Ms. Rachel's online presence took a turn from speaking only about education to speaking up against the humanitarian crisis facing children in Gaza. Her account, which had earned millions of followers, became a space for advocacy and appeals for aid, sparking strong reactions, including calls for a federal investigation.

"I think it should be controversial to not say anything," she said in a recent interview with independent anchor Mehdi Hassan, addressing the growing backlash to her activism.

"It's sad that people try to make it controversial when you speak out for children who are facing immeasurable suffering. Silence wasn't a choice for me."

Ms. Rachel: A platform for all children 

Rachel Accurso’s shift toward humanitarian advocacy has drawn attention to a figure deeply embedded in households across the US. Known for her cheerful and engaging videos aimed at young children, she decided to direct her activism at parents, not the children she creates content for, using her Instagram account to highlight the suffering of Palestinian children in Gaza.

The timing of her activism comes amid a dire situation in the besieged Palestinian enclave, as a result of the ongoing genocide. Children in Gaza face growing starvation and trauma as aid has only recently begun to trickle in, following a prolonged blockade imposed by "Israel". On that note, international aid groups have sounded the alarm over famine-like conditions.

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Advocacy for Gaza sparks polarization

In May 2023, Accurso launched a fundraising campaign that raised $50,000 for Save the Children. But the support she expressed for Palestinian civilians soon prompted allegations of anti-Israeli bias and anti-Semitism.

A pro-"Israel" lobby group called for US Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate whether Accurso is being funded by a foreign entity to "push anti-Israel propaganda."

The organization StopAntisemitism accused her of spreading "Hamas propaganda," though it acknowledged that she had also posted in support of Israeli children, including the two youngest settlers taken captive in Gaza.

“The painful reality,” she said, “is that Palestinian children in Gaza have been killed by the thousands and continue to be killed, maimed, and starved right now. The idea that caring about one group of children prevents us from caring about another group of children is false.”

Despite the attacks, Accurso emphasized the universality of her message. “Palestinian children, Israeli children, children in the US, Muslim, Jewish, Christian children, all children, in every country,” she wrote in a social media post. “Not one is excluded.”

Additionally, the accusations against Accurso come amid a broader climate of political polarization in the US, where the war on Gaza has sparked fierce debates across campuses, offices, and communities. While her critics accuse her of bias, her supporters argue that her message is humanitarian.

57 Gaza children died from effects of malnutrition since March

On that note, earlier last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that at least 57 Gaza children have perished from the effects of malnutrition since the aid blockade began on March 2, citing figures from the Palestinian Health Ministry on May 13. 

Speaking at a UN press briefing in Geneva, WHO representative for the West Bank and Gaza, Richard Peeperkorn, described the crisis as "one of the world’s worst hunger emergencies," driven by what he called the "deliberate obstruction" of humanitarian aid, including food and medicine.

The severity of the situation is underscored by the latest findings from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which now places the entire population of Gaza, approximately 2.1 million people, at critical risk of famine following 19 months of war, mass displacement, and aid restrictions.

Between April 1 and May 10, 93% of Gaza’s population (1.95 million people) were classified in IPC Phase 3 or above, indicating food crisis conditions or worse. This includes 244,000 people in IPC Phase 5 (catastrophe), the highest level of food insecurity, and 925,000 in Phase 4 (emergency).

Peeperkorn warned that if the current conditions persist, nearly 71,000 children under five could become acutely malnourished in the next 11 months, also emphasizing that around 17,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are now at serious risk.