At least 322 children have been killed and 609 injured in the Gaza Strip over the past 10 days following the breakdown of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said.
“The ceasefire in Gaza provided a desperately needed lifeline for Gaza’s children and hope for a path to recovery,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“But children have again been plunged into a cycle of deadly violence and deprivation. All parties must adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect children,” she said.
Most of the children killed were displaced, sheltering in makeshift tents or damaged homes, according to UNICEF.
The agency also noted that children were among those killed and injured when the surgical department of Al-Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza was struck on March 23.
The resumption of Israeli bombardments coupled with a complete blockade on aid since March 2 has put Gaza’s civilians, particularly its one million children, at grave risk, UNICEF said.
“With no aid allowed into the Gaza Strip since March 2 – the longest period of blockage since the war began – food, safe water, shelter and medical care have become increasingly scarce,” the agency said, warning that preventable child deaths would likely rise.
UNICEF further called for an end to hostilities, reinstatement of the ceasefire, and allowing humanitarian and commercial goods into Gaza.
“The world must not stand by and allow the killing and suffering of children to continue,” the agency stressed, calling on countries with influence to push for an end to the conflict and ensure respect for international law.
The Israeli army also launched a surprise aerial campaign on the Gaza Strip on March 18, killing over 1,000 people since then and shattering the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.
Overall, more than 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the Israeli military onslaught in Gaza since October 2023.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
