Israel kills 28 children every day in its war on Gaza: UNICEF

More than two dozen children are being killed every day in Gaza, UNICEF said on Monday, as Israel threatens to expand its military campaign into the few remaining areas of the besieged enclave.

The ongoing bombardment and severe restrictions on humanitarian aid have had a catastrophic impact on Gaza’s children, who are especially vulnerable to malnutrition and account for nearly a third of the overall death toll.

"Death by bombardments. Death by malnutrition and starvation. Death by lack of aid and vital services. In Gaza, an average of 28 children a day – the size of a classroom – have been killed," the UN agency wrote on X.

"Gaza's children need food, water, medicine and protection. More than anything, they need a ceasefire, NOW."

UNICEF estimates that around 50,000 children have been killed or wounded in Gaza since the war began 22 months ago - roughly a quarter of all casualties recorded by the territory’s health ministry.

Of the 61,000 confirmed deaths, more than 18,000 were children, the agency said.

Hunger crisis deepens

Humanitarian groups have repeatedly warned that Gaza is on the brink of famine. Israel’s blockade has choked off access to food, medical supplies and fuel for nearly two years, and earlier this year it imposed a total siege on the territory for almost three months.

Hunger-related deaths have surged in recent weeks, with more than half of those reported since 20 July, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Of the 188 people who have died of malnutrition since October 2023, half were children.

The UN warned last week that all 320,000 children under five in Gaza are now at risk of acute malnutrition, with thousands already suffering from it.

In Gaza City, the number of young children suffering from malnutrition has quadrupled in just two months.

This crisis is being worsened by Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure. Only 15 percent of nutrition treatment services remain operational, according to UN estimates.

While Israel recently began allowing more food into Gaza, aid agencies say the current flow remains far below the 600 trucks per day needed to feed the population.

The UNICEF warning comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government weighs whether to escalate its campaign further.

According to Israeli media reports, Netanyahu is expected to order the military to seize the last areas of Gaza it does not yet control, including Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Al-Mawasi, where nearly the entire population is now concentrated.

Israel currently controls around 75 percent of the enclave, but its ground campaign has left much of the territory in ruins and millions displaced.