Gaza’s parents fight to keep babies alive amid Israel’s blockade of baby formula and medical aid
Twins, Tawfiq and Naya Zourob feeding on lentil soup
Eman Alhaj Ali reports in The New Arab on 1 July 2025:
Since March 2025, Gaza has been gripped by a worsening humanitarian crisis, with food shortages and collapsing health services hitting the youngest and most vulnerable the hardest.
This crisis is not just about numbers — it is visible in the faces of grieving parents and the growing number of small graves of children across Gaza, revealing a humanitarian failure unfolding in plain sight.
As Israel’s blockade continues to cut off access to baby formula, food, and medical supplies, relatives of children spoke to The New Arab about what life has been like in recent months, as preventable illnesses keep claiming young lives.
Jouri Al-Masri: Starved before her first laugh
In Deir al-Balah, three-month-old Jouri Al-Masri died on 27 June after a desperate fight for the lactose-free formula she needed. Born healthy at 3.7 kilogrammes with no chronic illnesses, Jouri’s life was cut short because the blockade has made the special formula impossible to find in Gaza.
Her father, Mohsen Al-Masri, searched everywhere — from hospital to hospital, clinic to clinic — but there was nothing. “Not a single can,” he shared. “My daughter died of hunger,” he added. “She was crying with no strength left. Her body just gave up.”
In light of these shortages, by 19 June, hospitals had warned that formula supplies were dangerously low, and with borders still closed, Jouri’s tiny body wasted away, making her one of three infants who tragically starved to death within 24 hours.