ALBAWABA - The story of baby monkey Punch has broken the hearts of millions worldwide after he was abandoned by his mother, leaving him alone with his plushie surrounding Japan's zoo. However, what about thousands of Palestinian children who were orphaned in the 2-year war with Israel?
According to data shared by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in April 2025, more than 39,000 Palestinian children have been orphaned by Israel's war on the Gaza Strip.
"Some 39,384 children in Gaza have lost one or both parents after 534 days of the Israeli genocide," the data also showed.
"Selective empathy is a disgrace," the Cuban Embassy in France posted a video on social media showing a baby monkey Punch carrying his stuffed animal and a little orphaned girl in Gaza holding her toy.
The embassy wrote, "The world is moved by the monkey 'Punch' hugging a plush toy, while completely ignoring the suffering of thousands of orphan children in Gaza, whose entire families have been murdered by Israel."
Many people commented on the video, saying, "Exactly what I was saying to myself a few days ago. It's a disgrace!" Another person added, "When criminals rule! The world turned upside down."
On the other hand, an activist on X said that empathizing with one story doesn't mean we have forgotten the other or that we don't feel sorry for children who lost their parents during war.
