Three-month-old Reem Abu Hayya was the sole survivor of an Israeli airstrike that devastated her home near Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Monday. The attack claimed the lives of 10 people, including Reem’s parents and five siblings aged 5 to 12. Her grandmother, Sayida Abu Hayya, lamented the loss, questioning the fate of innocent children killed in the strike. Reem, along with three other injured children, is now struggling to adapt to formula milk after being breastfed by her deceased mother.
In a separate incident, Mohamed Abuel-Qomasan lost his wife and four-day-old twins when their shelter in Deir al-Balah was bombed while he was registering their births. The family had evacuated Gaza City following Israeli orders, seeking refuge in the center of the enclave.
The ongoing conflict has caused widespread devastation, leaving many families broken and orphans in its wake. Local doctors now use the term WCNSF, or “wounded child, no surviving family,” to describe the growing number of unaccompanied children. The United Nations had estimated around 17,000 such children in Gaza six months ago, a figure that has likely increased.
