In the dark silence of Gaza’s nights, countless mothers stay awake — watching, praying, and hoping their starving children are still breathing.
Since Israel’s relentless bombardment and blockade began on October 7, over 300 children have died of hunger. Nearly 900,000 more face severe malnutrition as food, medicine, and milk vanish from Gaza’s shattered landscape.
CNN reporters met several mothers holding onto fading hope. One mother, tears in her eyes, pointed to the hospital room and said,
“Four children have died here from hunger. I fear my daughter will be the fifth. She only weighs 3 kilos now, weak from constant diarrhea.”
Another mother whispered with trembling lips,
“I’m too weak myself to breastfeed. I wake up four or five times a night just to check if she’s still breathing… or if she left me in silence.”
Mothers told CNN they have no milk, no formula, and barely enough water. “We survive on tea or plain water,” said one.
Hidaya Al-Mutawaq, sheltering near Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, cradles her 3-year-old son Mohammed in a tent. His weight has dropped from 9 to just 6 kilos. “He can’t stand on his feet anymore. If we have food, we eat. If not, we put our trust in God,” she wept.
Across Gaza’s tents and hospitals, the scenes are all the same — sunken eyes, exposed ribs, and children whose little breaths fight to stay alive.
Israeli activists protest in Tel Aviv against the Gaza war, food blockade, and forced displacement of Palestinians.