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When children are jeopardized, so is our future. The United Nations and other agencies estimate that, since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, the Gaza killing fields left more than 10,000 children dead, 18,000 injured and 25,000 orphaned. Health care infrastructure has been shattered with hospital bombings and an ongoing siege that has caused severe shortages of medical equipment and supplies.
There is widespread malnutrition and starvation in Gaza. Children are especially vulnerable because adequate nutrition is crucial for growth and development. Schools and universities have been destroyed.
Bombing generates cumulative trauma for everyone, often with long-term emotional effects. It is estimated that more than 80% of children in Gaza have been traumatized by the war. Clearly, this Israeli “self-defense” action is also a war on children and the future of Palestinian society.
Leslie Sponsel
Hawaii Kai
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