Permitting such escalation: Hamas's stance explained
The tragic death of a 13-year-old boy named Amir, who was shot dead at a humanitarian aid distribution center in the Gaza Strip, has moved people on social media. Amir's story is just one of many that highlight the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip, where a severe famine, massive casualties, and a shattered infrastructure have become the norm.
Since the renewed hostilities starting in October 2023, over 61,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 150,000 injured. Among the dead are approximately 18,430 children. Gaza’s infrastructure is about 70% destroyed, with hospitals overwhelmed and unable to meet medical needs, especially for vulnerable groups like children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
Aid delivery has been extremely limited, with organizations like UNRWA and many NGOs unable to bring in sufficient humanitarian supplies for months. The opening of new aid distribution sites in May 2025 was marred by deadly violence, leading to over 1,965 Palestinian civilians being killed while seeking aid. These incidents have been caused by Israeli Defense Forces, armed gangs, and even contractors linked to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, raising legal and human rights concerns.
Children have experienced extreme suffering, with more than 20,000 children having been treated for acute malnutrition since April 2025, and at least 16 children under five having died from hunger-related causes in recent months. Children also represent a significant portion of civilian casualties, with tens of thousands among the dead and injured due to conflict-related bombardments and attacks.
The conflict was sparked by Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel in October 2023. Hamas is recognized as the governing authority in Gaza and the primary Palestinian armed group involved in hostilities against Israel. The ongoing conflict involves Israeli military operations targeting Hamas and other armed groups, but also results in mass civilian suffering and displacement within Gaza.
Mahmoud Al-Masri, a 20-year-old from the south of the Gaza Strip, has been displaced several times. He believes both the Israeli occupation and Hamas are starving and killing people to drive them off their land and use it for themselves and their populations. Mahmoud believes Hamas should have left Gaza to show the world the truth about the occupation.
In the Gaza Strip, people who cannot find food at distribution centers may resort to looting and attacking the weak. Bodies in the Gaza Strip often lie in the rubble and decompose without anyone being able to reach them, not even ambulances.
The world is waiting until children in the Gaza Strip turn into skeletons or die. The "Gaza Diary" collects voices from the Gaza Strip, primarily on the foreign pages of a certain website, providing a glimpse into the daily struggles and heartbreak faced by those living in the embattled region.
International journalists have not been able to travel to the Gaza Strip and report from there since the beginning of the war. The Israeli occupation force also kills at humanitarian aid distribution centers in the Gaza Strip, making it even more difficult for aid to reach those who need it most.
Sources: 1. UNRWA 2. WHO 3. Amnesty International 4. Human Rights Watch 5. The New York Times
- The tragic death of Amir, a 13-year-old boy, is a chilling reminder of the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip, a region plagued by war-and-conflicts, politics, and general-news that often includes crime-and-justice and accident stories.
- Severe famine, massive casualties, and a shattered infrastructure have become the norm in the Gaza Strip, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict involving Israeli military operations and Hamas, leading to the death and displacement of thousands, including children.
- The world is slow to react, as documented incidents like the death of Amir and the large number of children suffering from acute malnutrition, or dying from hunger-related causes, raise concerns about politics, human rights, and the situation in war-and-conflicts zones like the Gaza Strip.
