420 children have been killed or injured daily in Israel's Gaza onslaught

Gaza has been described by a UN children's agency as "a graveyard" for thousands of children with warning that more children will die as a result of dehydration as Israel banned the entry of food supplies into the besieged enclave.

"Our gravest fears about the reported numbers of children killed becoming dozens, then hundreds, and ultimately thousands were realised in just a fortnight," James Elder, a spokesperson for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The numbers are appalling [...], staggeringly this rises significantly every day," he said, adding: "Gaza has become a graveyard for thousands of children. It’s a living hell for everyone else."

The death toll has so far surpassed 8,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, while more than 22,000 people were wounded - many in critical conditions.