At least 74 children have reportedly been killed in relentless violence in the Gaza Strip in just the first seven days of 2025. Children have reportedly been killed in several mass casualty events, including nighttime attacks in Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Al Mawasi, a unilaterally designated 'safe zone' in the south. The most recent attack, yesterday, saw five children reportedly killed in Al Mawasi.
“For the children of Gaza, the new year has brought more death and suffering from attacks, deprivation, and increasing exposure to the cold,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. ”A ceasefire is long overdue. Too many children have been killed or lost loved ones in a tragic start to the new year.”
The continued lack of basic shelter – combined with winter temperatures pose serious threats to children. With more than a million children living in makeshift tents, and with many families displaced over the past 15 months, children face extreme risks. Since December 26, eight infants and newborns have reportedly died from hypothermia – a major threat to young children who are unable to regulate their body temperature.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has spiralled out of control. The number of trucks with aid entering Gaza remains woefully insufficient to meet the most basic needs of families. Civil order has largely collapsed inside Gaza, with the looting of humanitarian goods.
The few remaining operational hospitals are overwhelmed. The destruction of civilian infrastructure has left families struggling to access essential supplies, including food, safe water, sanitation, and access to healthcare. Kamal Adwan Hospital, which had been the only operational medical facility and the sole hospital in northern Gaza with a pediatric unit, is no longer functional following a raid late last month. This has further exacerbated the already dire conditions for medical care in the region.
“UNICEF has long warned that inadequate shelter, lack of access to nutrition and healthcare, the dire sanitary situation, and now the winter weather put the lives of all children in Gaza at risk. Newborns and children with medical conditions are especially vulnerable,” said Russell. “The parties to the conflict and the international community must act urgently to end the violence, alleviate suffering, and ensure that all hostages, especially the two remaining children, are released. Families need an end to this unimaginable suffering and heartbreak.”
UNICEF appeals to all parties to the conflict to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law, including by ceasing attacks on civilians, humanitarian workers, and civilian infrastructure; meeting civilians’ essential needs; and by facilitating rapid, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access. UNICEF also renews our call for an immediate improvement of the security environment, including security for aid delivery trucks, to allow for aid workers to safely reach the communities they intend to serve. The delivery of aid and supplies is a matter of life or death for children in Gaza.
