Israel killing some 1200 people and# kidnapping about 240 more.

Ever sinc Israel is bombarded Gaza with the# goal of eliminating Hamas.

The Hamas## run Gaza health ministry puts the# Gaza death toll at nearly 23,000.

And the United Nations says that as many as# 40 percent of the casualties are children,## about half the Gaza strips population is# younger than 18.

And as a new year begins,## many of them have a simple wish.

LAYAN HARARA, Gazan resident (through# translator): In 2024 I wish not to die.## There is no bathroom, no food and no# drinking water.

Our LAYAN ABU KUWAIK, Gazan resident (through# translator): This year is a nightmare for## every child in Gaza JOHN YANG: Earlier I spoke with# Jason Lee, the country director## for the Occupied Territories for Save# the Children.

He w JASON LEE, Country Director, Save the# Children: The situation in Gaza keeps## deteriorating children, the families that# 1.

9 million people.

That's 85 percent of the# population that have basically become homeless.

I was in Rafah.

And within three days, I saw# the sheer number of civilians that fled south,## putting up tents wherever they could, on the# side of the roads next to the hospitals.

Again,## there's a lack of food, there's lack of water,# there's absolutely no primary health care,## no health facilities are working.

This# is the situation like that children and## cars are facing right now.

And every# single day, it gets worse and worse.

JOHN YANG: You see no primary# health care facilities,## what happens to children or to an who may be injured in the fighting or injured# JA SON LEE: Seven out of 10 of the civilians# that have been killed and injured has been a## woman or a child.

And these children have# nowhere to go.

The hospitals completely## full.

They don't have enough supplies.# There's not enough health care workers.

So the doctors, the nurses, they're# performing examinations in corridors.## The rooms are completely filled, overcrowded# beyond belief.

Patients are sleeping on the floor,## floors that are covered with blood.

And the damage# that sold around again, these hospitals do not## have the fuel to keep running.

They don't# have bandages, they don't have medicines.

It is now unthinkable where majority of hospitals# in Gaza are no longer functioning.

Patients,## children cannot go anywhere to get treatment# for the injuries that they're sustaining.

JOHN YANG: What is the situation?

How dire is# the situation about getting food into Gaza?

JASON LEE: The latest report on the food# security indicates again, the high levels of food## insecurity throughout all of Gaza.

50 percent of# the population in Gaza, that's 1.1 million people## at risk of starvation.

Starvation cannot be used# as a weapon of war.

And we see this right now.

Throughout all of the Gaza Strip, food# availability is decreasing families are coping## or resorting to negative coping mechanisms.

My# team report that in the north of Gaza in Jabalya,## civilians have started taking two hunting# animals in the street just to find a meal.

JOHN YANG: I want to make sure I understand what# you're saying earlier you said that starvation## cannot be used as a weapon of war.

Are you saying# that you think Israel is deliberately doing this?

JASON LEE: What I can say and what I saw in# Gaza is that there is not enough supplies## coming in.

We do not have free access# throughout all of Gaza.

When I was in## Gaza for three successive days, all of our# movement to the North was denied.

We were## not allowed to take any convoys of aid to# the Northern part of Gaza.

And of course,## the increased fighting does not# allow for humanitarians to work.

JOHN YANG: The Israeli military says# they do work to try and minimize## civilian casualties.

And they blame# Hamas for the civilian casualties,## saying that they operate in these very densely# packed civilian areas.

What do you JASON LEE: Gaza is one of the most# densely populated places on Earth.## It has 2.3 million people living in an area# that is 365 square kilometers.

And again,## half of them the population of Gaza are children.

Now the forcible transfer or concentration# of civilians into areas that ca them to satisfy military objectives is# not trying to minimize civilian deaths.## It is not protecting civilians, forcing# civilians to move when there is still## active fighting.

Those areas cannot sustain# life.

It is not trying to protect civilians,## when you're forcing them to move into# areas that cannot keep them alive.

JOHN YANG: Israel with the support# and backing of the United States## is reluctant or is resistant to the# idea of humanitarian ceasefire.

They## do talk about brief pauses to allow# humanitarian aid in is that enough?

JASON LEE: The ceasefire a definitive# and immediate ceasefire is the only way## to protect civilians first and foremost,# because it actually stops civilians from## being continually killed and injured.

It allows# humanitarians to work.

Pauses do not allow us to## systematically bring the supplies and distribute# them throughout all of Gaza Strip.

We do not have## enough personnel in Gaza to actually mount an# effective and principled humanitarian action.## Humanitarian pauses do not do enough.

They# do not protect civilians.

They do not allow## humanitarians to deliver assistance wherever# civilians are throughout all of the Gaza Strip.

JOHN YANG: Jason, are there any# firsthand experiences you had## while you were in Gaza that you# could you could tell us about?

JASON LEE: When I was in Gaza, there was this# horrific a girl that turned up to why the Gaza alone.

We have# no idea who she is, how she got to where to Gaza,## where she came from.

Thankfully, were able to# find this four year old girl take her to medical## care and shoot this young child was in such# a state of catatonic shock.

Her skin was cold## and clammy.

We have no idea when she last ate.# And she wasn't speaking, she was non responsive.

We managed to get her some# food, give her some juice,## give some high protein biscuits and have a# doctor check her out.

But I if this child has regained speech.

We have no# idea who she is.

If she's got any family left.

The U.N. have estimated just in the U.N. shelters# alone and this is a rough indication that for## 2,000 children without parents without family.

We# have not been able to look into in the shelters,## the government shelters.

We've not been able# to look in the camps and the tents that are## springing up all around Rafah right now.

We need# to find these children.

We need to keep them safe.

JOHN YANG: I understand you also visited# a training center at Khan Younis?

JASON LEE: I met this young family that# were desperately trying to find milk for## this baby.

I don't know how old the baby was# probably about six months to un fortunately the mother had died buried# under the rubble.

And this family were## trying to find milk for this baby that hadn't# eaten for a day.

This is just one story of the## thousands and thousands of children that have been# impacted by what is happening in Gaza right now.

JOHN YANG: Jason Lee have Save# the Children.

Thank you very much.

JOSON LEE: Thank you.