Gaza City, August 5, 2025 – A devastating report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveals that approximately 28 Palestinian children are being killed daily in Gaza due to ongoing Israeli bombardment and severe restrictions on humanitarian aid. The relentless violence, coupled with a near-total blockade on essential supplies, has plunged Gaza’s children into an unprecedented crisis, described by aid agencies as a “graveyard for children and their dreams.”

Since the collapse of a fragile ceasefire in March 2025, Israeli military operations have intensified, targeting densely populated areas across the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reports that over 18,000 children have been killed since the conflict escalated on October 7, 2023. The ministry’s data indicates that children account for roughly one-third of the 60,933 total Palestinian deaths, with an estimated 150,027 others wounded.

The daily toll of 28 child deaths is driven not only by direct military action but also by starvation, malnutrition, and preventable diseases exacerbated by Israel’s blockade on aid, which has restricted access to food, clean water, medical supplies, and fuel since March 2, 2025. UNICEF reports that more than 50,000 children have been killed or injured since October 2023, with many suffering from conditions like hypothermia, dehydration, and trauma-induced disorders.

On March 18, 2025, one of the deadliest single days for children was recorded, with 174 killed in Israeli airstrikes, marking a violation of the January ceasefire agreement. Hospitals, overwhelmed and under-resourced, report a high proportion of women and children among the casualties, with many victims arriving in critical condition or trapped under rubble.

The human toll is starkly illustrated by individual stories. Eleven-year-old Yaqeen Hammad, a beloved social media influencer known for her volunteer work delivering aid to displaced families, was killed in an Israeli strike in Deir el-Balah on May 24, 2025. Her death sparked an outpouring of grief online, with activists noting her as a symbol of resilience amid Gaza’s suffering. Similarly, nine of Dr. Alaa Amir al-Najjar’s ten children, aged between seven months and 12 years, were killed in a single airstrike in Khan Younis, leaving their surviving sibling in critical condition.

Children like Lana, a 10-year-old whose hair turned white overnight due to trauma-induced depigmentation after a bombing near her shelter, highlight the psychological scars left on survivors. Her mother, Mai Jalal al-Sharif, told Al Jazeera that Lana has become withdrawn, speaking only to her doll.

The scale of the crisis has drawn widespread condemnation. Israeli human rights groups B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights–Israel, alongside Amnesty International, have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, citing the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and water systems, and the deliberate targeting of Palestinians as a group. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

UNICEF and other humanitarian organizations are urgently calling for an immediate ceasefire, the restoration of unhindered humanitarian access, and the release of all hostages and detainees. “How many more dead girls and boys will it take?” asked UNICEF Regional Director Edouard Beigbeder, emphasizing the need for global intervention to protect Gaza’s children.

The blockade, which allows only 86 aid trucks daily compared to the 600 needed, has led to famine conditions, with 188 people, including 94 children, dying of starvation since March 2025. The destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system, including the closure of Kamal Adwan Hospital and the targeting of Al Nasser Hospital’s surgical department, has left children without access to critical care.

Ahmad Alhendawi, regional director of Save the Children, described Gaza as “an inescapable living nightmare” for its youth, warning that an entire generation is growing up believing the world has abandoned them. With 90% of Gaza’s population displaced and 68% of cropland and roads destroyed, the prospects for recovery are bleak.

As the international community grapples with the crisis, the daily loss of 28 children underscores the urgent need for accountability and action to halt the violence and restore hope for Gaza’s youngest victims.