Children in the occupied Palestinian territory have experienced unimaginable hardship and relentless violence
The war in Gaza has exacted an unparalleled toll on children, inflicting potentially irreversible bodily and mental harm, with consequences that threaten not only their futures but the very fabric of Palestinian society for generations to come.
The "ceasefire" agreement in place remains fragile and has shown very little respite for civilians.
Children are meant to be off limits in war. Yet Israeli attacks continue to kill and injure Palestinian children, and humanitarian needs remain overwhelming.
Aid must be allowed to enter Gaza safely and at scale, and the current "ceasefire" agreement must become an immediate and definitive ceasefire. This is the only way to save lives in Gaza and end grave violations of children’s rights. There is no alternative.
Our response.
Save the Children and our local partners continue to deliver lifesaving support to children and families across the occupied Palestinian territory despite continued access constraints, repeated displacement and a deteriorating humanitarian environment.
We are treating children who are malnourished after being intentionally starved, supporting those suffering severe psychological distress from the horrors of war and occupation, and caring for children injured by bullets, bombs and shrapnel.
In 2025, our teams and local partners worked tirelessly to provide lifesaving support to over 1.8 million people across Gaza, including over 950,000 children.
Despite enormous challenges, our commitment to children remains steadfast. We will not abandon our commitment to them.
Humanitarian assistance remains the key, if not the only, lifeline for families across Gaza. They need urgent protection and unimpeded humanitarian access to begin to recover from the scars of war.
We stand ready to scale up our response. We are ready to support the people of Gaza and must be allowed to do our jobs.
We are calling for:
- An immediate and definitive ceasefire.
- The lifting of the siege and full, safe, sustained, and unimpeded humanitarian access.
- The release of Palestinian children arbitrarily held in military detention.
- Accountability for all grave violations against children.
Somayya*, 37, is a mother of seven children, five daughters and two sons, ages 19, 17, 13, 11, 9, 6 and one and four months old. The family lived in a border area in northern Gaza, but were forcibly in the early days of the war and now live in a displacement camp in Deir al-Balah. The youngest child, Ali*, was severely malnourished which affected his bones, and he cannot move or walk. She took him to a Save the Children clinic where he received treatment. Somayya*'s other children are behind in their education, and some of them lost interest in education because of the war. They do not have access to proper nutrition either and depend on food that comes from charity. The family wishes that the war ends and that they go back to their suburban quiet neighbourhood where they can live peacefully. Yasmeen Fayeq/Save the Children
Our impact for children in Gaza
Learn how Save the Children have supported children and families over the past two years with your support.
Lana's Story.
Tima* (26) found out she was pregnant in July 2023. She was excited to be having her second child. Then in October 2023, the war in Gaza started and everything changed.
Tima* and her family now live in a tent in central Gaza. She was very worried about where she would give birth safely until she found Save the Children’s new maternity unit, set up by our Emergency Health Unit.
Tima ended up giving birth there and her daughter Lana* became the first baby to be born in our maternity unit.
Although baby Lana was healthy when she left the hospital, after three days she developed a fever, refused to breastfeed and had blood coming from her umbilical cord. Baby Lana had contracted sepsis due to the tough living conditions in Al-Mawasi where her family lives in a tent.
If left untreated, sepsis can easily kill a baby. But Lana was lucky to be treated in time at our hospital and has now made a full recovery.
Tima* (26) found out she was pregnant in July 2023. She was excited to be having her second child and decorated a room in their home in preparation for the new baby. She thought about how she would spoil her new baby and how she would provide it with the best food and nice clothes. Then in October 2023, the war in Gaza started and everything changed. Tima, her husband, her son Hani* (19 months) and her parents, including her mother Eileen* (49), were displaced multiple times as fighting expanded across the Gaza strip. Tima says the most terrifying night was when they were sheltering in a greenhouse and bombs were falling all around them and bullets were slashing the plastic of the greenhouse. Tima says it’s been hard being pregnant during the war. They now live in a tent in central Gaza, and they do everything on the ground – cooking, washing, eating and sleeping. Tima’s back ached and she was exhausted. She was also very worried about where she would give birth safely, given the continuous attacks on healthcare facilities during the war. Tima visited the hospital where Save the Children is providing life-saving services for children and their families and had pre-natal check-up. Tima liked the facility and asked if she could give birth when she was due. Baby Lana* then arrived on 26 April 2024 and was the first baby to be born at Save the Children’s new maternity unit in the Gaza Strip, which was set up with the Emergency Health Unit. Tima and Eileen were so relieved when Lana arrived safely. Tima says her husband has red hair, so her daughter definitely looks like her. Although baby Lana was healthy when she left the hospital, after three days she developed a fever, refused to breastfeed and had blood coming from her umbilical cord. Tima was quick to bring her daughter back to the hospital where she was admitted to the inpatient ward and was treated by the Emergency Health Unit’s Dr Ana Paola Cardenas. Dr Cardenas said baby Lana had contracted sepsis (infection of the umbilical cord) due to the tough living conditions in Al Mawasi where her family lives in a tent and has very limited access to clean water and washing facilities. If left untreated, sepsis can easily kill a baby. However, thanks to Tima’s quick actions, a course of intravenous antibiotics and close monitoring in the inpatient facility, baby Lana has made a full recovery. Sacha Myers / Save the Children
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