NEW YORK, October 22, 2026 (WAFA) – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said 351 children had been killed in the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire was announced in October 2025, urging Israeli occupation authorities to take decisive measures to protect children in the territory.
In a statement issued on Thursday, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Beigbeder called on Israeli authorities to ensure transparent and rigorous accountability in cases where children are killed or sustain injuries resulting in permanent disabilities.
He said that over the past six days, eight children had been killed and 20 others injured. He urged Israel to take effective measures to deter further violence, uphold the principles of distinction, and ensure children receive the special protection guaranteed to them under international humanitarian law.
“This level of violence against children is unacceptable,” Beigbeder said, adding that children who survive attacks face additional obstacles to their physical and psychological recovery due to the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system.
UNICEF reported last week that around 800,000 children in Gaza remain displaced, while an estimated 60,000 have lost one or both parents during the war or since the ceasefire.
The agency stressed that nearly every child in Gaza requires mental health support amid continued displacement and the deterioration of essential services.
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