The Heartrending Tragedy of Animal Starvation and Desolation at Gaza Strip’s Zoo

The heart-wrenching images of emaciated, lifeless animals in the zoological garden of Gaza Strip have evoked an outpouring of sorrow from viewers around the world.

These poignant photographs were captured within the Khan Younis Zoo in Gaza Strip. Here, captive animals have fallen victim to starvation due to the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel, rendering their care an insurmountable challenge.

Mohammed Awaida is the proprietor of the zoo, established in 2007, and has invested hundreds of thousands of USD into this business endeavor. Nonetheless, numerous animals perished during the Israeli military offensive against Hamas last year.

Awaida shared that after three weeks of intense hostilities, he couldn’t return to tend to the zoo, resulting in the deaths of many animals due to starvation. A similar tragedy had unfolded once before in 2014 following the Gaza War, known as Operation Protective Edge.

The conflict between the Israeli military and Palestine resulted in the loss of 1,960 Palestinian lives and 67 Israeli lives. Eighty animals also perished, leaving only 20 surviving animals in another zoo named Al-Bisan within Gaza Strip.

Khan Younis is one of the five zoological gardens in Gaza Strip, a region home to 1.7 million people under the control of Hamas. With no dedicated authority overseeing these zoos, the facilities in Khan Younis have been deteriorating rapidly.

The photographs reveal the desolation that has set in after years of exposure to the elements. The once-vibrant creatures now resemble mere decorations in a shop, a stark reminder of their suffering and the dire circumstances they have endured.