Palestinian children forced to wear wooden shoes due to Israeli restrictions

Children in Palestine have been forced to wear wooden shoes due to the unavailability of proper footwear amid the devastating impact of Israel's restrictions on Gaza.

Saber Dawas, a displaced Palestinian from northern Gaza, has resorted to making slippers for children from wood and worn-out fabric, highlighting the dire consequences of the ongoing Israeli military's offensives in the besieged enclave.

The Israeli restrictions in the war-torn region since October 7 2023 have blocked essential goods from entering Gaza, leading to a severe shortage of basic necessities.

The limited supply available is being sold at exorbitant prices, further exacerbating the crisis. 

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.