The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that at least 67 Palestinian children have been killed in the Gaza Strip since a US-brokered ceasefire took effect last month.
The figure includes a baby girl killed in an Israeli air strike in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, as well as seven other children killed during a wave of Israeli attacks across the enclave.
UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires expressed concern over the ongoing violence, emphasizing that these fatalities occurred during an agreed ceasefire, highlighting the devastating toll on innocent children. “Each was a child with a family, a dream, a life – suddenly cut short by continued violence,” Pires said during a Geneva news conference.
The violence has persisted despite the truce, with Palestinian children bearing the brunt of the conflict. UNICEF estimates that since October 2023, over 64,000 Palestinian children have been killed or injured in Israeli attacks.
Humanitarian organizations also warn of a worsening crisis, with Save the Children reporting that in 2024, an average of 475 children each month suffer lifelong disabilities due to the war, including traumatic brain injuries and burns.
Gaza’s children have also become the largest cohort of child amputees in modern history, according to humanitarian groups.
Meanwhile, Israel faces accusations of using starvation as a weapon of war, leading to a dire humanitarian crisis with children especially vulnerable as food supplies diminish. The ongoing conflict continues to devastate Gaza’s youngest and most vulnerable populations.
