In a deeply tragic moment emblematic of Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis, a five-month-old baby girl named Zainab Abu Halib has died of starvation, her tiny body wrapped in a white cloth as her grieving family said goodbye.
According to The Associated Press (AP), Zainab’s lifeless body was brought to the pediatric department of Nasser Hospital on Friday. A morgue worker unwrapped the thin bundle, revealing a severely emaciated infant whose weight had dropped to less than two kilograms—far below her birth weight of over three kilograms.
Her death brings the total number of children who have died from malnutrition-related causes in Gaza to 85 since the start of the war, based on data released Saturday by the territory’s Health Ministry. In total, at least 127 people have succumbed to hunger-linked complications, most of them in recent weeks.
“She needed a special baby formula which did not exist in Gaza,” her father, Ahmed Abu Halib, told AP during funeral prayers held in a hospital courtyard in Khan Younis.
Doctors confirmed that Zainab wasn’t battling any specific illness but needed a special formula for babies allergic to cow’s milk. The lack of access to that essential nutrition led to chronic vomiting, diarrhea, and ultimately, a fatal bacterial infection and sepsis.
“She suffered from severe, severe starvation,” said Dr. Ahmed al-Farah, the head of the pediatric department, noting that the department has been overwhelmed in recent weeks, treating around 60 cases of acute malnutrition despite having only eight beds. Makeshift mattresses now line the floor to accommodate the surge.
Her mother, herself weakened by hunger, mourned more than just her child. “With my daughter’s death, many will follow,” she said. “They are just names and numbers. Our children have become just numbers.”
Israel’s blockade of Gaza—tightened further after a ceasefire ended in March—has drastically reduced the flow of essential goods. The UN estimates that 500 to 600 aid trucks are needed daily, yet only about 69 have been allowed in on average. Most of that aid is intercepted by desperate crowds or armed groups before reaching distribution centers, according to the UN.
While Israel insists it has facilitated the entry of baby food and special nutritional supplies, humanitarian agencies on the ground say the need far outpaces what is being delivered. Israel also continues to deny accusations of orchestrating starvation, labeling such claims as “propaganda.”
Late Saturday, Israel’s foreign ministry announced a limited humanitarian pause beginning Sunday morning to facilitate aid access in specific areas. But with children like Zainab already lost, many families in Gaza fear it may be too little, too late.
“There was a shortage of everything,” her mother said, still reeling from the loss. “How can a girl like her recover?”
