Egypt Daily News – Under the blistering sun of war-torn Gaza, a mother pressed a final kiss to the forehead of her 5-month-old daughter. Wrapped in a white burial shroud, the child’s body was small enough to be cradled in one arm. Zainab Abu Halib, once a healthy newborn weighing just over 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds), had wasted away to less than 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) when she died, her weight lower than at birth.
She is one of the latest and most haunting victims of severe starvation in the besieged enclave, now in its 21st month of war and under intense restrictions on humanitarian aid. Her death, like so many others, unfolded quietly her bones visible beneath her skin, her body failing not from illness but from a lack of the food and care that could have saved her.
Brought to Nasser Hospital’s pediatric department in the southern city of Khan Younis on Friday, Zainab was already dead. In the hospital morgue, a worker removed her Mickey Mouse-printed shirt with reverence, exposing her emaciated frame. He lifted the hems of her pants to reveal the thinness of her limbs; his thumb was wider than her ankle. Her ribcage, sunken and frail, told the story her mother could barely put into words.
“She needed a special baby formula which didn’t exist in Gaza,” said her father, Ahmed Abu Halib, as he prepared for funeral prayers in the hospital courtyard. According to Dr. Ahmed al-Farah, head of the pediatric department, Zainab had an allergy to cow’s milk and required a specialized formula to survive. Without it, she developed chronic diarrhea and vomiting. Her immune system deteriorated rapidly, leading to a bacterial infection and ultimately sepsis. She was unable to swallow food in her final days.
The death toll from malnutrition-related causes in Gaza continues to climb. The latest figures from the Gaza Health Ministry report that at least 85 children have died from malnutrition during the war. In total, 127 people have died from starvation-related causes, including a rising number of adults in recent weeks.
Zainab’s mother, herself weakened by malnutrition, said she breastfed her daughter for just six weeks before being forced to rely on formula she couldn’t find. Now displaced and living in a tent, the mother’s own weight loss was hidden beneath a loose robe as she spoke through tears.
“With my daughter’s death, many will follow,” she said. “Their names are on a list that no one looks at. They are just names and numbers. We are just numbers. Our children, whom we carried for nine months and then gave birth to, have become just numbers.”
At Nasser Hospital, the pediatric department, designed to treat just eight children, is now overwhelmed with around 60 cases of acute malnutrition. Extra mattresses cover the floor to accommodate the growing number of emaciated children. Another affiliated malnutrition clinic receives an average of 40 new cases weekly, according to Dr. al-Farah.
“Unless the crossings are opened and food and baby formula are allowed in for this vulnerable segment of Palestinian society, we will witness unprecedented numbers of deaths,” the doctor warned.
Humanitarian workers and health officials have blamed the deteriorating crisis on Israel’s restrictions on the flow of aid, food, and medical supplies into Gaza. After ending a ceasefire in March, Israel imposed a complete blockade on the territory for over two months, aiming to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages. Though restrictions were slightly eased in May under international pressure, the damage had been done.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said last week that since May, approximately 4,500 trucks carrying aid have entered Gaza, including 2,500 tons of baby food and therapeutic nutrition for children. But the average of 69 trucks per day remains far below the 500–600 trucks per day that the United Nations says are necessary to meet Gaza’s needs. Moreover, the U.N. reports it has been unable to distribute much of the aid due to desperate crowds and looting, with organized gangs often intercepting deliveries before they reach intended recipients.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian catastrophe is growing deadlier. According to the U.N. human rights office, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May—most while attempting to access food near newly established aid distribution points supported by Israel and U.S.-based charities.
Nearly the entire population of Gaza now depends on aid. But for infants like Zainab, even the smallest delay or deficiency can be fatal.
“There was a shortage of everything,” her grieving mother said. “How can a girl like her recover?”
Her question echoes throughout Gaza, where the emaciated bodies of children are not just symbols of suffering but a stark indictment of a system that has failed to protect the most innocent.
