Over 100 Children Killed in Gaza Since Ceasefire, UNICEF Reports
Child Death Toll Linked to Military Attacks
The United Nations children’s agency (UNICEF) reported on Tuesday that more than 100 children have died in Gaza since the ceasefire that began in early October, including victims of drone and quadcopter attacks.
“More than 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire,” UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said in a video briefing from Gaza. “Survival remains conditional. While bombings and shootings have decreased during the ceasefire, they have not completely stopped.”
Elder said that nearly all of the deaths—60 boys and 40 girls—resulted from military attacks, including airstrikes, drone strikes, tank shelling, gunfire, and quadcopters. A few deaths were caused by unexploded remnants of war. He noted that the official count likely underestimates the true number, as it includes only cases with verified information.
Flooding Kills Six More
A severe rainstorm swept through Gaza on Tuesday, flooding hundreds of tents and collapsing homes that sheltered families displaced by over two years of war. Local health officials reported at least six deaths.
Medics said five people—including two women and a girl—died when homes collapsed near Gaza City’s beach, while a one-year-old boy froze to death in a tent in Deir al-Balah.
Tents were ripped from their stakes, with some flying dozens of meters before crashing. Families scrambled to save possessions, hammering loose pegs and stacking sandbags to prevent floodwater from entering shelters.
“We didn’t realize what was happening until the wall started collapsing—an eight-meter-high concrete wall,” said Bassel Hamuda, a displaced resident. “The wall fell on top of us and onto three tents. A 73-year-old man, his daughter-in-law, and his granddaughter were killed.”
Humanitarian Situation Worsens
Three months after the ceasefire, Israeli forces have ordered the near-total evacuation of nearly two-thirds of Gaza, forcing over 2 million residents into a narrow coastal strip. Most live in makeshift tents or damaged buildings, exposing them to further dangers such as flooding.
On Tuesday, dozens of relatives gathered at a hospital morgue to pray over bodies laid on stretchers before funerals, reflecting the community’s ongoing grief and the scale of the crisis.
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