At least 67 Palestinian children have been killed in the Gaza Strip since a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement came into effect last month, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The agency says the deaths occurred despite what was formally presented as a truce period.
Speaking at a press briefing in Geneva, UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said the toll includes a baby girl killed in an Israeli air strike on a home in Khan Younis on Thursday, along with seven other children who were killed the previous day during a series of attacks across the enclave.
“This is during an agreed ceasefire. The pattern is staggering,” Pires said, emphasizing that each child lost was “a life, a family, a dream — suddenly cut short by continued violence.”
Children Continue to Bear the Heaviest Burden
Humanitarian agencies say children remain the most affected population in Gaza.
According to previously released UNICEF estimates:
- Tens of thousands of children have been killed or injured since the war began in October 2023
- Many continue to face severe trauma, displacement, and medical complications
A report from Save the Children stated that in 2024:
- An average of 475 Palestinian children per month suffered lifelong disabilities, including
- traumatic brain injuries
- severe burns
- limb loss
The group also noted that Gaza has become “home to the largest cohort of child amputees in modern history.”
Medical Teams Report Gunshot Wounds and Blast Injuries
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said its teams have recently treated:
- Palestinian women and children with open fractures
- Patients with gunshot wounds to the limbs and head
An MSF nurse recounted treating a nine-year-old girl with a facial injury caused by quadcopter fire.
Survivors described scenes of devastation, collapsed shelters, and families buried in dust and debris after missile impacts.
Humanitarian Conditions Worsen as Winter Sets In
Aid agencies warn that many children are now enduring:
- Cold temperatures
- Flooded makeshift shelters
- Insufficient blankets and insulation
- Ongoing food shortages
UNICEF said many children are “sleeping in the open”, adding that the winter season has become a “threat multiplier” for survival.
Pires urged that more humanitarian aid — including tents, heating supplies, and medical support — must be allowed into Gaza without delay.
“There is no safe place for children in Gaza,” he said. “The world cannot continue to normalise their suffering.”
