Palestinian activists celebrate birthday of girl injured by Israeli airstrike in Gaza

In a heartwarming gesture, Palestinian journalists and activists gathered at a hospital in Gaza to celebrate the birthday of Salam, a young girl who was injured in an Israeli air strike in the besieged enclave.

The celebration was shared on Instagram by YouTuber and activist Saleh Al-Jafarawi, who posted a video of the occasion.

The video shows people gathered around Salam's hospital bed, singing the traditional Arabic birthday song as they light candles on a cake. 

The group then cuts the cake together surrounded by the injured girl's family.

"Happy New Year the sweetest Salam. May Allah heal you and your mother and brothers," Al-Jafarawi captioned the video.

The video has resonated with many, inspiring messages of love, support, and well wishes for Salam's recovery.

Israel's military offensives in Gaza since Oct 7 have resulted in devastating losses, with over 40,000 Palestinians killed, including 16,456 children and 11,000 women.

The United Nations (UN) reported that two-thirds of buildings across the Gaza Strip have been "damaged or destroyed." Israeli attacks have also killed at least 270 aid workers.

The restrictions on food, water, medicine, and fuel supplies have exacerbated the situation in Gaza.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) directed Israel to ensure basic services and humanitarian aid delivery in the besieged enclave.

The Palestinian government's information office reported that almost 1.7 million Gazans have been displaced due to relentless air and artillery strikes by the Israeli military.

Thousands of children in Gaza have been diagnosed with malnutrition, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). 

“A significant proportion of Gaza’s population is now facing catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom said on June 12 while talking to reporters.

Earlier, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) head Cindy McCain said people in Gaza are starving to death.

"The speed at which this man-made hunger and malnutrition crisis has ripped through Gaza is terrifying,” he added.

“To have 50 percent of an entire population in catastrophic, near-famine levels, is unprecedented,” Beth Bechdol, the deputy director general of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), said.

The WFP estimated that around 1.1 million people are "struggling with catastrophic hunger and starvation" due to Israel's severe restrictions on food, water, medicine, and fuel supplies to the besieged enclave.