Gruesome images were released today of painfully thin lions and emaciated monkeys starving in a war-torn zoo in Gaza.
Lions, monkeys and parrots are struggling to find food and medical treatment at the Rafah Zoo in the southern Gaza Strip, 12 weeks after Israel's attack on the region.
Some animals have already died of starvation and others are still living in harsh conditions, while dozens of destitute Palestinians camp among their cages in the private zoo run by the Gomaa family.
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, going from daily meals of chicken to weekly portions of bread.
A worker shows a monkey that died of starvation on January 2, 2024 at the zoo in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where displaced Palestinians took refuge amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas
Four monkeys have died and a fifth is now so weak he can't even feed himself, said zoo owner Ahmed Gomaa
Lions, monkeys and parrots struggle to find food and medical treatment at Rafah Zoo, Gaza, 12 weeks after Israel's attack on the region
He explained, “We give them dry bread soaked in water just to keep them alive. The situation is actually tragic.”
Animals die and get sick every day, says Sofian Abdeen, a veterinarian who has worked at the zoo: 'Cases of hunger, weakness and anemia. These problems are widespread. There's no food.'
Nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been driven from their homes as a result of the Israeli bombardment that has left much of the territory in ruins.
Many are now sleeping on street corners and empty lots in the southern city of Rafah.
At Rafah Zoo, notorious for its lion declawing and gruesome facilities, a row of plastic tents stood near the animal cages and laundry hung on lines between palm trees.
“There are many families that have been completely wiped out. Now our whole family is staying in this zoo,” said Mr Gomaa, who fled Gaza City.
'Life among the animals is more merciful than what we get from the war planes in the sky.'
A UN-backed report warned last week that Gaza was at risk of famine, with the entire population facing crisis levels of hunger. Israel stopped all imports of food, medicine, electricity and fuel into Gaza at the start of the war.
While it is now possible for aid to enter the enclave, security checkpoints, delivery bottlenecks and the difficulty of moving through the rubble of a war zone have hampered supplies.
Many Palestinians living in the region say they do not eat every day.
Animals die and get sick every day, said Sofian Abdeen, a veterinarian who has worked at the zoo
Nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been driven from their homes as a result of the Israeli bombardment that has left much of the territory in ruins
Parrots are struggling to find food and medical treatment while living in harsh zoo conditions due to the Israeli attacks in Rafah, Gaza.
Some animals have already died of starvation and others are still living in harsh conditions, while dozens of destitute Palestinians camp among their cages in the private zoo run by the Gomaa family.
Mr Gomma also fears for his two lion cubs, whose mother has lost half her weight since the conflict began, going from daily meals of chicken to weekly portions of bread.
More images of the painfully thin lions living on scraps at the Rafah Zoo in the southern Gaza Strip
At Rafah Zoo, notorious for its lion declawing and gruesome facilities, a row of plastic tents stood near the animal cages and laundry hung on lines between palm trees.
A UN-backed report warned last week that Gaza was at risk of famine, with the entire population facing crisis levels of hunger. Israel stopped all imports of food, medicine, electricity and fuel into Gaza at the start of the war
Thousands of Israeli troops are being withdrawn from Gaza, despite military warnings that “protracted” fighting will continue into 2024.
In what is the biggest withdrawal of forces since the war broke out 87 days ago, the troop movement could signal a scaling back of fighting in some parts of the embattled enclave.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have said they are about to take operational control in the north of the Gaza Strip, where brutal aerial bombardment has been ongoing since Israel declared war on Hamas following the October 7 invasion.
Israel is under pressure from its key ally, the United States, to switch to lower-intensity fighting amid high civilian casualties in Gaza, where Hamas authorities say the death toll stands at more than 21,000.
However, military leaders have vowed to continue until Israel's war goal of dismantling Hamas is achieved, with bitter fighting in the enclave continuing and casualties continuing to rise on the first day of the new year.