RAMALLAH, April 5, 2026 (WAFA) – The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) has revealed alarming statistics showing that over 21,000 Palestinian children have been killed and more than 44,000 injured since the Israeli aggression on Gaza began in October 2023.

On Palestinian Children’s Day, the report highlights that children under 18 constitute 43 percent of the population—around 2.47 million—facing unprecedented humanitarian challenges, including malnutrition, displacement, and lack of access to education and healthcare.

The ongoing war in Gaza has devastated families, leaving over 58,000 children orphaned and thousands more at risk of permanent disability. Around 4,000 children urgently need medical evacuation to survive. In the West Bank, 237 children have been killed since the start of the war, and more than 1,600 cases of child detention have been recorded under harsh conditions.

Widespread destruction of infrastructure has left hundreds of thousands of children displaced, living in overcrowded camps or makeshift shelters, with unexploded ordnance posing additional threats. Access to food, water, and healthcare is severely limited, with thousands suffering from malnutrition and hundreds of thousands affected by waterborne illnesses.

Education has also been severely disrupted: approximately 700,000 students are deprived of formal learning due to damaged or destroyed schools, displacement, and the death or injury of teachers. The psychological impact is profound, with over one million children in Gaza requiring urgent mental health support.

The PCBS report emphasizes that without urgent intervention, the long-term consequences will affect an entire generation of Palestinian children.

M.N