Entering its third year in Gaza, the war has had devastating consequences for children, including deaths, injuries, hunger, disease, orphanhood and being deprived of education. According to data from Gaza’s government media office, more than 21,600 children have died since the war began.
Ismail al-Thawabta, director general of Gaza’s government media office, said children were being affected by bombardment, hunger and disease. Al-Thawabta argued that children were being targeted and that the events amounted to systematic destruction.
According to figures released by Gaza’s Health Ministry, 74,243 Palestinians have died and 175,232 people have been injured in the Gaza Strip since October 8, 2023. There are some discrepancies between Palestinian authorities’ data on child deaths and data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Child deaths and life-changing injuries
In a report published in July 2026, UNICEF said at least 21,700 children had died and about 45,000 had been injured as of June 30, 2026. The organization said more than 11,000 children had sustained injuries that would affect their lives for a prolonged period.
According to information provided by al-Thawabta, 1,022 of the children who died were under the age of one. Of these, 520 were babies who died after being born during the years of the war.
Al-Thawabta said children, women and older people accounted for 55 percent of total deaths in Gaza. UNICEF said child deaths continued even after the ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10, 2025.
The organization said on August 6, 2026, that at least 300 children had died during the first 300 days of the ceasefire. According to UNICEF data, an average of one child died every day during that period.
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor said in a report dated September 18, 2026, that a child named Mohammed al-Zanati had died on September 15 in an attack involving munitions belonging to the Israeli army. It was also said that Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid had met with young people who supported the killing of all Palestinians in Gaza at the beginning of October.
Children awaiting treatment and medical evacuation
Severe damage to Gaza’s healthcare system has made it difficult for injured and sick children to access treatment. Al-Thawabta said about 5,200 sick children urgently needed medical evacuation.
According to al-Thawabta, children account for 18 percent of approximately 5,400 recorded amputation cases among Palestinians. UNICEF also said more than 11,000 children had suffered injuries that would affect their lives for a prolonged period.
Struggling with hunger, cold and disease
Al-Thawabta said 164 children had died because of hunger and severe malnutrition. Giving the total number of Palestinians who had died for the same reasons as 460, al-Thawabta said 25 of the 28 people who died from the cold in camps housing displaced people were children.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, UNICEF, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization announced on August 22, 2025, that famine was occurring in Gaza. According to UNICEF, about 17,000 children received treatment for severe malnutrition in August 2025; that number fell below 3,000 in March 2026. The organization warned that the recovery remained fragile.
According to a nutrition survey conducted by UNICEF in accessible areas from May 31 to June 15, 2026, 12.2 percent of children under five were stunted. Only 22.4 percent of children aged six to 23 months met the minimum acceptable dietary standard, while 73 percent had consumed unhealthy food the day before the survey.
The same survey found that 37.1 percent of children under five had experienced diarrhea in the two weeks before the survey. Damage to water and sewage networks, along with poor living conditions, increased children’s risk of disease.
Orphanhood and psychological devastation
Al-Thawabta said 59,759 children had become orphans after losing one or both parents. UNICEF said more than 1 million children needed protection as well as psychological and social support.
According to UNICEF’s assessment, symptoms such as sleep disorders, bed-wetting, aggression and withdrawal had become widespread among children. It noted that 92 percent of these symptoms began after October 2023.
Children deprived of their right to education
The war has also caused extensive damage to Gaza’s education infrastructure. Al-Thawabta said 620,000 children and young people were unable to continue their education in safe and stable conditions.
According to UNICEF data, 658,000 school-age children were deprived of regular education. The organization said 97.5 percent of schools in Gaza had been damaged or destroyed.
Attacks affecting children
Incidents affecting children in Gaza have also included allegations concerning the conditions at hospitals treating premature babies. Gaza’s Health Ministry said the Israeli army entered Nasser Children’s Hospital west of Gaza City in November 2023, forced medical staff to leave the hospital under threat, and that five babies died because their evacuation was not allowed.
On October 21, 2023, the mother of seven-year-old Yusuf searched for her son among the wounded in Gaza. Yusuf was later found dead in a hospital morgue.
Three-year-old Rim and her brother Tarık died in an attack in November 2023. Remarks made by Rim’s grandfather, Khalid Nabhan, beside her body drew attention after the incident.
Six-year-old Hind Rajab sought help from the Palestine Red Crescent in January 2024 to be rescued from the vehicle where she was trapped after her relatives were killed. Hind’s body was found 12 days later alongside the bodies of two paramedics who had gone to rescue her.
Seven-year-old Sidra Hasuna died in an attack on Rafah in February 2024 along with her twin sibling, her mother and father, and some relatives. In April 2026, nine-year-old Ritaj Rayyan also died after Israeli soldiers opened fire at an education tent in the northern Gaza Strip.
