Gaza father's desperate plea as he cradles the body of his daughter
My colleague Andy Lines reports how officials at Save the Children and UNICEF are begging for a ceasefire to save lives on both sides of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Devastated father Wael al-Dahdouh cradles the body of his daughter Sham, yet another innocent young victim of a war that has nothing to do with them.
As he grieved for the seven-year-old he declared: “They are punishing us through our children.” Another distraught dad weeps uncontrollably at the graves of his three children and echoes Wael’s despair. He said: “They are bombing angels. They are killing our children.”
These harrowing scenes are now common in Gaza, where Palestinian figures claim the death toll of youngsters has hit more than 3,000. And as Save the Children and UNICEF beg for a ceasefire to save lives on both sides of the Israel-Gaza conflict, hundreds of others are still missing, feared buried under the rubble left by Tel Aviv airstrikes.
One humanitarian worker also told how many kids who survive blasts are being left with crippling injuries and hospitals are struggling to cope with the growing humanitarian crisis. Dozens of Israeli children were murdered by Hamas on October 7 and many others are being held hostage.
The tragic toll on kids from both sides is illustrated by the deaths of two four-year-olds. Israeli Omer Siman-Tov was killed at a kibbutz while Palestinian Omar Bilal al-Banna died in an airstrike near Gaza City. Gordon Brown joined the call for both sides to stop targeting kids.
Writing in the Mirror today, the former PM said: “Israel has a right to defend itself against terrorist attacks and I mourn for the families of those grieving the murder and fearful for the safety of those kidnapped by Hamas. Under international law all children, Israeli and Palestinian, must be protected, and guaranteed food, shelter, education and healthcare.”
As well as Sham, Wael lost wife Amna, 44, son Mahmoud, 15, and grandson Adam, two, on Wednesday. He was working as Gaza bureau chief for Al Jazeera TV when told of the attack on the home he had moved his family to because it was in a “safe” area. Wael said: “There is no safe place in Gaza at all. This is a series of targeted attacks on children, women and civilians.”
The other grieving dad scrolled through mobile phone photos of his children who were killed last Thursday. He named them one by one. Majd, Sima and Suhail. The father added: “They bombed my angels. This is Majd … my little bird. He was dead and disfigured. My daughter Sima. Her head was crushed. Suhail. I pulled his body from the rubble.”
Save the Children’s Jason Lee told of the effects of blast injuries on kids. He said: “They are particularly vulnerable to the impact of explosive weapons. Their bodies are thrown harder and further by the blasts. Their bones bend more, increasing the chances of long-term deformities with little chance of recovery. They have less blood to lose.
“They are unlikely to receive specialist medical care, with health systems often at the point of collapse. Children have been killed and injured, not to mention suffering from serious longer term mental health impacts. They’ve never emerged unscathed. There must be a ceasefire.”
Many of the Gaza children who survive are in a living hell. Naima Fares lives at Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip with her six kids. Her eldest son Aaed is haunted by the images of dead children and others screaming in pain. He said: “I can’t understand how nobody does anything to help them. The children of Gaza have a right to live.” Doctors Without Borders told how the lack of medicine and clean water have led to “alarming” infection rates, among children at hospitals.
The family of Ohad Munder-Zichri who was kidnapped by Hamas in the October 7 raid, are horrified he will be spending his ninth birthday as a hostage. His aunt Osnat Meiri, 53, said he had lost his glasses. She added: “He cannot manage without them.” Ohad’s mother Keren Munder, 54, and grandparents Ruthi and Avraha, both 78, were also snatched. More than 6,500 Palestinians and at least 1,300 Israelis have been killed since the Hamas raid, officials said.
King Charles holds crisis summit at Palace to end bloodshed in Middle East crisis
The King has met aid agencies for talks on the devastating Middle East crisis, as more horrific images of injured children were released.
And as Israel prepared for a full ground invasion of Gaza after the murderous Hamas attacks, former PM Gordon Brown called for “all children, Israeli and Palestinian”, to be protected from harm.
Charles, who is president of the British Red Cross, discussed the “acute humanitarian situation” in the region, a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said. At the audience were the chief executive of Unicef UK Jon Sparkes, Medical Aid for Palestinians chief executive Melanie Ward, vice-chair of Medical Aid for Palestinians Shireen Jayyusi, Christian Aid chief executive Patrick Watt, and Rory Moylan, of the British Red Cross.
Aid agencies are calling for a ceasefire to allow access to aid. Buckingham Palace declined to comment on whether the King discussed the plight of the hostages. But the Red Cross assisted with the recent release of four Israeli hostages.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak revealed UK Border Force teams are in Egypt to help British nationals from Gaza when a crossing is opened. He called for a pause in fighting so aid could reach Palestinians and to create a “safer environment” for UK passport holders trying to flee the 25-mile strip.
The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt – the only border point not controlled by Israel – is likely to be the main exit route for those trapped by the fighting but it is currently closed other than for aid deliveries. Egypt, which has long tried to prevent Gazans moving to its territory, has blamed Israeli air strikes for the crossing being closed for foreign nationals.
Mr Sunak called for “specific pauses” in the violence so British passport holders and hostages could be freed. He added: “We’ve positioned Border Force teams to Egypt so that if there is a possibility for our nationals to cross we’re ready to bring them back.” Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, chairing a meeting of the COBRA emergencies committee, said he was heartbroken by the casualties but Israel could not “eliminate” Hamas “without some civilian impact”.
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