A Lost Generation

The relentless conflict in Gaza has plunged its children into an unimaginable abyss of suffering, marking the territory as arguably the deadliest place in the world for a child. Latest reports paint a grim picture of widespread death, injury, malnutrition, and the systematic dismantling of essential infrastructure, threatening to create a lost generation unless the unending cycle of violence is brought to an immediate halt. The war, which erupted after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, has spiralled into a relentless military campaign that has obliterated much of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure. While the political arguments rage on, the reality on the ground is a silent scream – the broken lives of children who neither chose the battlefield nor have any means to escape it.

The scale of the catastrophe is staggering. More than 13,000 children have been killed, and an estimated 25,000 injured, while at least 25,000 have been hospitalized for malnutrition, according to various UN agencies and media reports. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that out of 40,717 Palestinian bodies identified in Gaza, a third – 13,319 – were children. Britain’s deputy U.N. ambassador, James Kariuki, starkly stated that “Gaza has become the deadliest place in the world to be a child”, adding “the children of Gaza did not choose this war, yet they have paid the ultimate price”.

The devastating toll extends beyond immediate casualties. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) revealed in March 2024 that more children have been killed in Gaza in just over four months than in four years of conflict worldwide between 2019 and 2022. This stark comparison underscores the unprecedented intensity and lethality of the current conflict for Gaza’s youngest population. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini described this data as “staggering,” asserting, “This war is a war on children. It is a war on their childhood and their future”.

The conflict has systematically destroyed the very foundations of childhood and future prosperity. Over 60 per cent of homes or housing units in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged, and a staggering nine out of every ten schools have suffered significant damage. Hospitals, public buildings, and electricity networks have also been severely hit, leading to a broken health system where only 13 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain functional. More could be damaged in the days to come. This destruction has had a profound impact on education, with 650,000 school-going children unable to attend classes, necessitating a complete rebuilding of the education system.

Beyond death, the ongoing blockade and airstrikes have ravaged Gaza’s healthcare, water, and food systems. A viral video depicting a two-year-old child attempting to carry two large jerrycans of water in northern Gaza tragically highlights the dire water crisis that has been compounded by Israel’s blockade. UNICEF reports that displaced children in Gaza are receiving only 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day, drastically less than the humanitarian threshold of 15 liters needed for drinking, cleaning, and cooking, and even below the 3-liter survival threshold.

This severe deprivation places children at high risk of dehydration, diarrhoea, disease, and malnutrition, even to a great extent of increasing the threat of waterborne illnesses as a result of rains or floods. The UN Aid Coordination office (OCHA) reported that 21 children have died from severe acute malnutrition and dehydration in northern Gaza alone. Adding to this, approximately 17,000 children are unaccompanied or separated from their parents, representing one percent of the 1.7 million Gazans displaced. International aid agencies have expressed outrage, warning that these experiences inflict deep trauma on the lives of children.

The United Nations’ annual report in June 2025 indicated an unprecedented 25 per cent surge in grave violations against children in conflict zones in 2024 compared to the previous year, with Gaza topping this dismal list. The report verified 41,370 grave violations against children in 2024, the highest number since monitoring began nearly 30 years ago. Various media reports of June 20, 2025 pointed out that while Gaza is the main contributor, other regions like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti have also seen significant increases in violence against children. Russia and affiliated groups also remained on the list for grave violations in Ukraine, including the killing of 94 children and injury to 577 in 2024. In Gaza alone, the list of grave violations, including killing, maiming, abductions, and attacks on schools and hospitals, continues.

In Gaza, with the collapse of education and healthcare systems, the future is as uncertain as the next air raid. Gaza’s children, who once aspired to be doctors, poets, engineers, and teachers, now live in survival mode, their psyches scarred by the sights of war and the sounds of drones.

Every child lost is a future extinguished. War in Gaza is no longer just about territory or ideology. It has become an industrial-scale war on innocence. The children of Gaza, many now orphans or amputees, will carry their trauma into adulthood, perpetuating a cycle of bitterness, mistrust, and possibly violence. The general effects of war on children are universally devastating, regardless of the conflict. Beyond the immediate physical harm, children are subjected to profound psychological trauma, witnessing violence, losing family members, and enduring displacement. The destruction of schools and healthcare facilities robs them of their education and access to vital medical care, leading to long-term health complications and a lack of opportunities. Malnutrition and disease become rampant, impacting their physical and cognitive development, resulting in a cycle of despair and vulnerability, hindering their ability to lead healthy, productive lives.

The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, stated that while nothing justifies the violence by Hamas, nothing justifies the “collective punishment of the people in Gaza”. The international community must redouble its efforts for an immediate and sustained ceasefire. Humanitarian aid must flow unimpeded and in sufficient quantities to address the rampant hunger and medical crises. The rebuilding of Gaza’s shattered infrastructure, particularly homes, schools, and hospitals, is not merely a logistical challenge but a moral imperative to safeguard the future of its children.

While condemnations have poured in, tangible actions, such as an enforceable ceasefire, opening of humanitarian corridors, and accountability for war crimes, remain elusive. Israeli officials claim Hamas uses civilian structures to shield militants, but this cannot justify indiscriminate destruction or the bombing of UN-run schools. It is not a matter of political alignment; it is a question of moral clarity. Children per se – whether under international law, or otherwise – must be protected at all costs.

The children of Gaza are not terrorists, not militants, not collateral – they are children. They deserve not just survival, but dignity, dreams, and peace.

The writer is Programme Executive, Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti. Views expressed are personal