SHOTLIST:


GAZA, PALESTINE (AUGUST 8, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL)


1. VARIOUS OF TENTS ON GAZA COAST


2. VARIOUS OF 5-MONTH-OLD PALESTINIAN BABY SEVERELY WEAKENED BY MALNUTRITION, VISIBLE SKELETAL BODY


2. MOTHER HOLDING BABY IN HER ARMS AND SPEAKING TO REPORTERS
GAZA, PALESTINE - AUGUST 8, 2025: Five-month-old malnourished Palestinian Ammar Amara is fighting for survival in the Gaza Strip amid Israel’s systematic starvation policy, ongoing blockade, and genocide.


Ammar is one of eight children in the Amara family, who fled the Shujaiyya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City and now live in a tent near the coast. His condition starkly illustrates the devastating impact of the worsening hunger crisis on children in the besieged enclave.


According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 197 Palestinians, including 96 children, have died as a result of Israeli-induced starvation and malnutrition since the genocide began. Hospitals are overwhelmed with cases of severe malnutrition, raising fears that without the reopening of border crossings, hunger-related deaths will continue to rise in the coming days.


The dire situation has drawn international concern. UN experts said on Thursday that more than 500,000 people, about a quarter of Gaza’s population, are currently facing famine, while the rest endure emergency levels of hunger. All 320,000 children under five are at risk of acute malnutrition, with potentially lifelong physical and mental health impacts, the experts stated.


Ammar’s mother, Amira Amara, said her son showed no signs of malnutrition at birth but began to deteriorate slowly, especially after his fourth month. She attributes Ammar’s emaciation to the harsh conditions of tent life, the Israeli-imposed starvation, and the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system. “Ammar and my other children live a tragic life in the tent. My son survived nearly 25 days on water and IV fluids alone,” Amira said.


The severe hunger has led to multiple illnesses and complications in Ammar’s case. “My son is dying from hunger and disease. His fever reached 43 degrees Celsius. He suffers from chronic fever and diarrhea. He fights hunger and illness under the sun in the tent,” she added.


Amira appealed to the world to witness Ammar’s deteriorating condition, telling Anadolu reporter, “If you came back at another time to film Ammar, you would see a different child. He is getting worse every day.”


She plans to take him back to the hospital, where he has been receiving continuous IV treatment, but fears it is not enough. “We are exhausted from the constant IV treatments that seem ineffective. Death is knocking at our door every moment. My son is dying before my eyes. I ask for urgent help so Ammar can receive proper treatment outside,” she said.


Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for 18 years and, since March 2, has shut down all crossings, blocking the entry of humanitarian aid and worsening conditions for the territory’s 2.4 million population.


Israel has been facing mounting outrage over its genocide in Gaza, where more than 61,200 people have been killed since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.


Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.


Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.