GAZA, (PIC)
Over months of genocide and siege, motherhood has not been a blessing — it has become a daily nightmare for thousands of women in the Gaza Strip. Amid hunger that ravages bodies and constant fear of losing their children, mothers are left confronting a systematic Israeli policy that uses starvation as a slow weapon of death.
The mother who once stayed up late to nourish her child now finds herself unable to secure even a drop of milk or a morsel of bread, in the face of closed crossings and empty market shelves.
Under the weight of the siege, women’s suffering has gone far beyond daily hardships — they now face the loss of loved ones, childbirth amid hunger, and watching their children wither day after day before their eyes, powerless to save them.
In Gaza today, the question is no longer how a woman can protect her children, but how she can save them from dying of hunger in her arms.
Since the beginning of March 2025, coinciding with the end of the first phase of the ceasefire and the resumption of its military assault, Israeli occupation army has intensified the blockade on Gaza in an unprecedented manner. Border crossings have been sealed off, and essential humanitarian aid, including food, has been barred from entry.
Missing bread and charity meals
All bakeries have stopped operating after running out of fuel, and most “community kitchens” that used to serve meals to hundreds of thousands of hungry people have shut down. Markets are nearly empty of basic goods, and the prices of what’s left have skyrocketed, becoming unaffordable for most residents.
Even gatherings of people trying to obtain food have not been spared, as they have been repeatedly targeted by occupation forces — a scene that brings back the worst images of siege and famine.
Jenan died hungry in her mother’s arms
Among the heartbreaking stories mothers in Gaza recount is that of Ayah Al-Sakafi, 21 years old, who told the Palestinian Center for Human Rights about her struggle with her baby girl “Jenan,” born during the war and quickly lost to hunger.
She says: “At first, she was breastfeeding and gaining weight. But after the siege tightened, food became scarce, and her health began to deteriorate. We had no milk and not enough food. Eventually, she refused to breastfeed and suffered from chronic diarrhea. We tried to get her treatment outside Gaza, but the crossings were closed. On May 3rd, my baby died hungry, on an oxygen machine, in pain — and I was helpless to save her.”
“I feed my daughter half the amount to save for another day”
Basema Awad, 27 years old, faces the risk of losing her daughter at any moment. Her child has a lactose intolerance and the appropriate formula is unavailable. Due to the blockade, the mother was forced to give her expired formula and ration the small amount she had left over several days, fearing a total shortage.
Pregnancy without nutrition
Pregnant and breastfeeding women are suffering from severe malnutrition, endangering both their own health and the health of their unborn babies. H.K., 35 years old, is nine months pregnant and surviving only on lentils and pasta. She says: “I fear my baby will be born weak or won’t survive. There’s no milk, no healthy food. My body is exhausted, my hair is falling out, and I constantly feel dizzy.”
A toddler who can’t crawl
Na’mah Al-Kafarna, 30 years old, fears for her daughter Nada’s life. Nada is one year and one month old and still unable to crawl or walk, weighing no more than 7 kilograms. Na’mah says: “I couldn’t breastfeed her due to malnutrition and had to resort to formula despite how rare it is. Famine has hit every home, and every mother lives in daily fear of losing her child.”
Systematic starvation and genocidal crimes
According to official estimates, more than 65,000 children are at risk of dying due to malnutrition. Over 50 child deaths have already been recorded — the result of a systematic starvation campaign that is part of the broader genocidal policy carried out by Israeli occupation forces against more than two million people in the Gaza Strip.
