UNICEF warns Gaza children face soaring deaths, injuries and severe deprivation

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says that ongoing air strikes in the Gaza Strip have made it impossible to guarantee the safety of children. Since the conflict began on 8 October 2023, UNICEF estimates that 21,638 children have been killed and more than 45,000 injured, including about 1,000 who have lost limbs. The agency reports that 265 children have been killed since the cease‑fire took effect on 10 October 2025 – roughly one child per day – and over 400 have been wounded in the same period.

Humanitarian conditions are described as “inhumane.” Overcrowding now forces the population into just 40 % of the Strip’s land area, while basic services have collapsed. UNICEF cites 179 government schools and 105 UNRWA schools that are fully or partially destroyed, and 801 teachers killed, leaving education largely impossible. Children also suffer chronic hunger, malnutrition and disease; more than 3,700 children have been admitted for severe nutrition treatment, with over 600 cases classified as acute. The agency calls for an immediate end to the violence and the establishment of protected shelters, schools and medical facilities for Gaza’s children.