One In Five Gaza Babies Born Prematurely Or Underweight, Says UN

Last Updated:October 06, 2025, 02:39 IST

Ministry said 1,015 children under one year old have been killed by Israel, along with 1,670 medical staff and 140 civil defence rescue workers among over 77,000 Palestinians

At least 1,015 children under one year old have been killed by Israel, along with 1,670 medical staff, 254 journalists, and 140 civil defence rescue workers among over 77,000 Palestinians. (Image Credit: Reuters)

The United Nations has reiterated its demand for humanitarian assistance into the enclave, emphasising that Palestinian newborns are particularly vulnerable.

In a post on X, the UN said: “1 in 5 babies in Gaza is born prematurely or underweight. Earlier this week,

@UNICEF delivered urgently needed hygiene supplies to hospitals & health centres in Gaza City. But that’s far from enough. Aid at scale is critical to save lives.”

According to the Israel’s foreign ministry, the activists, who held Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch citizenship, were deported to Spain.

Israel had detained hundreds of participants in the Global Sumud Flotilla after seizing their ships in international waters and preventing them from reaching Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.

Meanwhile, the Government Media Office in Gaza has released a series of figures giving a detailed toll of the war.

“About 90% of the Gaza Strip has been totally destroyed by the Israeli military, which controls more than 80% of the territory through ground invasion, armed attacks and forced displacement orders,” it said.

It further stated: “At least 1,015 children under one year old have been killed by Israel, along with 1,670 medical staff, 254 journalists, and 140 civil defence rescue workers among over 77,000 Palestinians.”

“Torn, disintegrated bodies, blood, broken heads, broken arms, chopped limbs – not just chopped, like disintegrated. You would never see such scenes in your life, blood everywhere … It’s like a slaughterhouse,” said anaesthetist Saya Aziz.

She added: “The hardest has been for the children who are unwell, unconscious, bleeding – you’re having to anaesthetise them knowing they’ve got no surviving family members left. Who’s going to tell them, who’s going to look after them?”

According to a report by ANI, Israel on Sunday called on the United Nations to step up its efforts to collect and distribute undelivered humanitarian aid sitting on the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom border crossing.

The crossing will be closed on Monday and Tuesday due to the start of the week-long Sukkot holiday, said Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).“On the Gazan side of Kerem Shalom, hundreds of trucks’ worth of food – thousands of pallets – are still waiting for collection by the UN and international organizations,” COGAT said.

“Over the past month, more than 7,000 truckloads of food entered Gaza – well above the assessed need in the Strip. We urge the UN and international organisations: come collect the food and deliver it to the people who need it,” it added.

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