DaysofPal — More than 37 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of 2026, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which warned that children continue to bear the brunt of the ongoing Israeli war and the collapse of essential services.
In a recent update, UNICEF said the children were killed in incidents including Israeli airstrikes, shelling, and other attacks that have continued despite a fragile ceasefire in place for months.
The agency cautioned that the real number of child casualties could be higher, as many victims remain buried under rubble or have not yet been fully documented.
Humanitarian officials say the Israeli war is only one part of the crisis affecting children in the besieged territory.
The Israeli war has severely damaged hospitals, schools, and water infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands of children without reliable access to healthcare, education, or clean water.
According to UNICEF, more than one million children in Gaza are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and psychological support after nearly two years of war.
The latest deaths add to the heavy toll children have suffered since the war escalated in October 2023.
Reports from UN agencies indicate that tens of thousands of children have been killed or injured during the Israeli genocide in Gaza, making the city one of the most dangerous places in the world for children.
International organizations say the majority of casualties in Gaza have been civilians.
Various assessments estimate that more than 80% of Palestinian casualties since October 2023 have been civilians, including large numbers of women and children.
Humanitarian groups have repeatedly called for stronger protection for civilians and for the safe delivery of aid into the enclave, warning that the continued disruption of essential services, including food supplies, medical care and clean water, by Israeli occupation poses a growing threat to the survival of Gaza’s youngest residents.
UNICEF urged to protect children and civilian infrastructure and to ensure unhindered humanitarian access to the territory.
“Children in Gaza continue to face unimaginable hardship,” the agency said, warning that without immediate protection and assistance, the humanitarian situation for Gaza’s youngest generation will continue to deteriorate.
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