The article reports on the Gaza zoo, where owner Mahmoud Gomaa has been struggling to care for the animals amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Many of the animals are malnourished due to food shortages, with some zoos even feeding them frozen meat instead of fresh prey. Despite these challenges, the zoo in Nuseirat refugee camp remains open, providing a rare opportunity for children to relax and play. According to veterinarian Amir Khalil, the constant conflict is causing immense stress and fear for the animals, which can detect sounds and disturbances that humans may not notice.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Mahmoud Gomaa, the owner of a zoo in Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp, has been working tirelessly to save his animals from the devastating effects of war. After being forced to flee his original location in Rafah due to Israeli troops' occupation in 2024, he moved the surviving animals to different towns before finally finding a new home in Nuseirat in 2026. Despite severe shortages of food, medicine, and vaccines, Gomaa has managed to keep many of his animals alive, including lions and chimpanzees. The zoo now serves as a rare source of joy for traumatized local children, who visit the enclosures to see the animals, although they are often malnourished and weak due to the harsh conditions. Gomaa's dedication is motivated by his desire to save the animals more than himself, as he stated: "In the beginning of the war people were looking for a way to survive... and I was looking for a way to save the animals more than saving myself."
Written for “Life at the Gaza Zoo” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning score -0.55 for article 1131 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-08-24
At a Gaza zoo, war takes its toll on the animals
AI generated
GAZA/CAIRO -
asserted
war → take → animals
As children walked into the zoo near Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, they found a lion barely looking back at them through the bars of its cage and chimpanzees sitting listlessly in their enclosure.
asserted
they → walk → enclosure
Many of the animals were malnourished, weakened by shortages of food, medicine and vaccines.
asserted
Many → weaken → food
He originally ran the attraction in the southern city of Rafah, but said he had to flee when Israeli troops attacked and occupied part of the area in 2024.
asserted
troops → run → 2024
As the conflict raged, he moved the surviving animals from town to town before finding a place in Nuseirat in central Gaza earlier in 2026.
asserted
he → rag → 2026
There, he reopened the zoo, hoping to give traumatised youngsters something to enjoy after nearly three years of destruction.
“In the beginning of the war, people were looking for a way to survive... and I was looking for a way to save the animals more than saving myself,” Gomaa told Reuters.
asserted
Gomaa → reopen → Reuters
There were a number of zoos in Gaza before the conflict between Israel and Hamas erupted, displaying exotic and wild animals including lions and eagles, municipal records show.
asserted
records → be → lions
Anyone trying to keep one open now faces enormous challenges, vets and animal experts said, not least in getting food in a territory struggling to feed its human population.
asserted
vets → try → population
“Owners are currently feeding them frozen meat,” veterinarian Nidal Fadel said.
asserted
Fadel → feed → meat
“This is a catastrophe and a wrong nutritional plan because in nature they eat fresh prey.”
asserted
they → eat → prey
The animals themselves are bearing the brunt of the war – sometimes directly.
asserted
animals → bear → war
When Gomaa fled Rafah, he said he had to leave behind three lions, several crocodiles and some African ostriches.
asserted
he → flee → lions
A few months later, Gomaa returned and only found the bones of the crocodiles and the ostriches.
asserted
Gomaa → return → crocodiles
Those three lions, which he had locked in their cages, had disappeared.
asserted
he → lock → cages
“Lions can detect sounds and disturbances that humans may not notice,” said Amir Khalil, a veterinarian who has led several trips to Gaza by the animal welfare organisation Four Paws and rescued other zoos’ animals.
uncertain
who → detect → animals
“Bombing and constant conflict create enormous stress and fear for them,” he added.
asserted
he → create → them
In Nuseirat, the surviving lion barely looked up at the visitors.
asserted
lion → survive → visitors
But the children had better luck with some of the other animals, letting parrots ride on their shoulders and petting smaller monkeys.
asserted
parrots → have → monkeys
It was a rare chance to relax in an enclave still facing regular airstrikes, despite a fragile ceasefire.
asserted
It → relax → ceasefire
Israel’s military, which says its attacks are aimed at militant targets, did not immediately respond to questions about the conflict’s impact on civilian facilities like zoos and their animals.
asserted
attacks → say → zoos
“Today, there is no avenue for children to play,” said visitor Karam Al-Mazin, 42.
“There is nothing except rubble, stones and tents, so children today are bored and are in a difficult situation.”
asserted
children → be → situation
