Horrifying images of painfully thin lions and emaciated monkeys starving to death in a war-torn zoo in the Gaza Strip were released today.
Lions, monkeys and parrots are struggling to find food and medical treatment at Rafah Zoo in the southern Gaza Strip, 12 weeks after Israel's offensive began in the region.
Some animals have already starved to death and others continue to live in harsh conditions, while dozens of destitute Palestinians camp among their cages at the Gomaa family's private zoo.
Four monkeys have died and a fifth is now so weak that it cannot even feed itself, said zoo owner Ahmed Gomaa.
Mr Gomma also fears for his two lion cubs, whose mother has lost half her weight since the conflict began, from daily chicken meals to weekly portions of bread.
A worker shows a starved monkey at Rafah Zoo in the southern Gaza Strip on Jan. 2, 2024, where displaced Palestinians sought refuge amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas
Four monkeys have died and a fifth is now so weak that it cannot even feed itself, said zoo owner Ahmed Gomaa
Lions, monkeys and parrots are struggling to find food and medical treatment at the zoo in Rafah, Gaza, 12 weeks after Israel's offensive against the region began
He explained: “We feed them dry bread soaked in water just to keep them alive.” “The situation is really tragic.”
Every day, animals die and get sick, said Sofian Abdeen, a veterinarian who worked at the zoo: “Cases of hunger, weakness, anemia.” These problems are widespread. There is no food.'
Almost all of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been forced from their homes due to the Israeli bombardment, which has reduced much of the territory to rubble.
Many now sleep on street corners and in empty lots in the southern city of Rafah.
At Rafah Zoo, known for its declawed lions and hideous facilities, a row of plastic tents stood near the animal enclosures and laundry hung on lines between the palm trees.
“There are many families that have been completely wiped out. “Now our whole family lives in this zoo,” said Mr. Gomaa, who fled Gaza City.
“Life among animals is more merciful than what the fighter jets in the sky offer us.”
A United Nations-backed report warned last week that Gaza was at risk of famine and that the entire population was suffering from crisis levels. At the start of the war, Israel stopped all food, medicine, electricity and fuel imports to Gaza.
Although aid is now allowed to enter the enclave, security checks, supply shortages and the difficulty of moving through the rubble of a war zone have hampered deliveries.
Many Palestinians living in the region say they don't eat every day.
Animals die and get sick every day, said Sofian Abdeen, a veterinarian who worked at the zoo
Almost all of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been forced from their homes due to the Israeli bombardment, which has reduced much of the territory to rubble
Parrots are struggling to find food and medical treatment while living in harsh conditions at the zoo due to ongoing Israeli attacks in Rafah, Gaza
Some animals have already starved to death and others continue to live in harsh conditions, while dozens of destitute Palestinians camp among their cages at the Gomaa family's private zoo
Mr Gomma also fears for his two lion cubs, whose mother has lost half her weight since the conflict began, from daily chicken meals to weekly portions of bread
More images of the painfully thin lions living on scraps of food at Rafah Zoo in the southern Gaza Strip
At Rafah Zoo, known for its declawed lions and hideous facilities, a row of plastic tents stood near the animal enclosures and laundry hung on lines between the palm trees
A United Nations-backed report warned last week that Gaza was at risk of famine and that the entire population was suffering from crisis levels. At the start of the war, Israel stopped all food, medicine, electricity and fuel imports to Gaza
Thousands of Israeli troops are being withdrawn from the Gaza Strip, despite military leaders warning that “ongoing” fighting will continue into 2024.
The troop movement represents the largest troop withdrawal since the war began 87 days ago and could signal a reduction in fighting in some areas of the embattled enclave.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have said they are close to taking operational control of northern Gaza, where there has been relentless airstrikes since Israel declared war on Hamas following the October 7 invasion.
Israel is under pressure from its main ally, the United States, to switch to lower-intensity fighting amid high civilian casualties in Gaza, where the death toll is over 21,000, according to Hamas.
But military leaders have pledged to keep pushing forward until Israel's war goal of crushing Hamas is achieved. Fierce fighting continues across the enclave and the number of casualties continues to rise on the first day of the new year.