Rahaf (10 years old), who used to play and have fun with her siblings, is now moving between hospitals and clinics, after her health deteriorated further due to malnutrition resulting from the food shortage in the Gaza Strip, as a result of the repercussions of the war of extermination.
Undiagnosed pain. In a ward at Al-Rantisi Hospital in Gaza City, a doctor stands at the bed of little Rahaf. She used to have a radiant face, thick hair, and a strong body, before illness and suffering overwhelmed her.
Today, she lies silently, her withered eyes waiting for her mother's constant gaze, while pallor covers the features of her small face, in a picture that sums up her pain.
Despite their suffering, Rahaf and her mother, like thousands of children in the Gaza Strip, hope to regain her health and return to school, after the war deprived her of her rights to education, health, and a safe life.
On Saturday, the Government Media Office in Gaza announced that the death toll from Israel's starvation policy had risen to 57 Palestinians since October 7, 2023, warning of a further increase in light of Tel Aviv's closure of the crossings and its prevention of the entry of relief aid for two months.
Palestinian government and UN officials have repeatedly warned of the dangers of Israel's continued closure of the crossings and its prevention of the entry of essential supplies, including food, medicine, fuel, and water, into the Gaza Strip for two months.
severe pain and hair loss
"My daughter is suffering from an unknown illness. She has swelling in her body, severe bone pain, and hair loss," said Shorouk Ayyad, Rahaf's mother.
She explained that doctors in Gaza are unable to diagnose her condition due to the lack of medical equipment and medications. She noted that she had conducted several tests on her daughter, but that they had not reached a diagnosis. The doctors informed her that even if a diagnosis were made, there was no treatment available inside Gaza due to the blockade and the closure of the crossings.
She pointed out that malnutrition had exacerbated her daughter's condition, given her inability to provide adequate food.
The mother hopes that Rahaf will be transferred abroad for treatment and that the crossings will be opened, given her difficult health condition.
Lack of medical equipment
For his part, Dr. Ragheb Warsh Agha, head of the Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Department at Al-Rantisi Hospital, said that Rahaf's condition has no clear diagnosis, but it is certain that she is suffering from malnutrition, malabsorption, and severe weight loss.
He added, "If this situation continues, the weakened immune system resulting from emaciation will expose the child to serious complications, which may lead to death."
During the ongoing genocide, the Israeli occupation army destroyed and burned 38 hospitals, most of which were put out of service, according to the government media office.
The direct targeting also led to the closure of 81 health centers and 164 medical facilities, according to the office.
In early March 2025, the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel, which had been in effect since January 19, ended. However, Israel reneged on the agreement and resumed its genocide on the 18th of the same month.
Since March 2, Israel has closed the Gaza Strip's crossings to the entry of food, relief, medical aid, and goods, causing a significant deterioration in the humanitarian situation for Palestinians, according to government, human rights, and international reports.
The 2.4 million Palestinians in Gaza are entirely dependent on this aid after Israel's ongoing genocide over the past 19 months rendered them impoverished, according to World Bank data.
This humanitarian crisis comes amidst the displacement of more than 90% of Gaza's Palestinians from their homes, some of whom have experienced this situation more than once, living in overcrowded shelters or out in the open, increasing the spread of diseases and epidemics.