UNICEF says child deaths in Gaza continue despite ceasefire, as toll passes 300
UNICEF says at least 300 children have been killed in Gaza in the roughly 300 days since the October 10, 2025 truce between Israel and Hamas was announced. The agency said that amounts to an average of one child killed each day, despite the ceasefire framework that was meant to halt the fighting. It said hundreds more children have been wounded, many of them severely, as violence has continued.
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In a statement issued on Thursday, UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, said a ceasefire that leaves an average of one child dead every day is failing children. The agency said families are now confined to about a third of the enclave, living among destroyed buildings, rubble and uncleared waste. It also said children continue to face acute malnutrition, disease, unsafe water and damaged sanitation, while a shortage of incubators has forced some premature newborns to share machines.
UNICEF said more than 58,000 children have lost one or both parents since the war began in October 2023, and that more than one million children need protection and psychosocial support. It said the scale of family separation and displacement has created one of the largest child protection crises anywhere. The agency has previously estimated that about 17,000 children were unaccompanied or separated from their families.
The figures underline the continuing humanitarian cost of the Gaza conflict even after the ceasefire announcement. UNICEF said the situation is unfolding alongside a proposed US-led peace plan, which it wants the parties to turn into action. The agency's warning also points to the wider collapse of basic services, with healthcare, sanitation and safe shelter all under severe strain.
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The report also places the latest child deaths in the context of the wider war, which health authorities in Gaza say has killed more than 73,300 Palestinians since October 2023. UNICEF said repeated displacement, loss of income and limited access to healthcare and education have left many families without stability. It added that children are spending their days fetching water, queueing for food and gathering firewood rather than attending school or playing, while aid groups say summer camps and basic learning materials remain scarce in displacement camps.
What remains unclear is how many of the child deaths were caused by separate incidents and how many were linked to specific strikes or operations. UNICEF did not provide a breakdown by location or date beyond citing one strike in western Gaza City on August 2, in which residents recovered the remains of an unborn baby after a pregnant woman, her husband and their five-year-old son were killed. The agency's latest warning suggests the ceasefire remains fragile, and the next test will be whether the parties can reduce civilian harm and allow more consistent humanitarian access.
UNICEF said at least 300 children in Gaza have reportedly been killed over 300 days since a ceasefire agreement came into effect last October. The agency said the arrangement was intended to suspend military operations between Hamas fighters and the Israel Defense Forces.
The statement gives a cumulative toll and time frame but does not identify individual incidents, specific locations, or the circumstances of the deaths. No additional figures or operational details were included in the source text.
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The report places the child death toll inside the ceasefire period itself, indicating continued lethal violence despite the agreement. The source does not say whether the deaths occurred in one episode or across multiple incidents, and it does not provide any casualty breakdown beyond the 300 children cited by UNICEF.
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