GAZA: 10,000 children killed in nearly 100 days of war

Toronto, January 11 2023 – More than 10,000 children have been killed by Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza in nearly 100 days of violence, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, with thousands more missing, presumed buried under rubble, Save the Children said.

The latest data from the Ministry of Health in Gaza shows more than 10,000 of Gaza’s 1.1 million children – or 1% of the total child population – have been killed since an attack on Israel on 7 October [1] and the assault on Gaza that has followed.  The war will have been ongoing for 100 days on Sunday 14 January.

Children in Gaza surviving the violence are enduring unspeakable horrors, including life-changing injuries, burns, disease, inadequate medical care, and losing their parents and other loved ones. They have been forced to flee violence, often repeatedly, with no safe place to go, and face the terror of an uncertain future. About 1,000 children in Gaza have lost one or both of their legs, many having them amputated without anesthetic, and will require a lifetime of medical care.

Lana*, an 11-year-old girl in Rafah in the south of Gaza, said:

“The war has affected us so badly. We had to leave our homes and couldn’t do anything. We learned many things during the war, like how important it is to save water.  I hope the war ends, and we live in peace and safety.”

More than 40% of those killed in Gaza since the attack on Israel and escalation of violence in the occupied Palestinian territory began on 7 October are children.

Save the Children said that a record number of grave violations [2] against children have been reported in 100 days of violence that started on 7 October, including:

• 370 schools in Gaza damaged or destroyed [UNICEF]
• 94 hospitals and healthcare facilities in Gaza attacked [WHO]
• More than 1,000 Palestinian children lost one or both legs [UNICEF]
• Around 1.1 million children – the entire child population in Gaza – denied access to adequate humanitarian assistance
• Abductions of children in Israel and 33 Israeli children killed [OCHA via Israeli authorities]

Jason Lee, Save the Children’s Country Director for the occupied Palestinian territory, said:

“For every day without a definitive ceasefire, 100 children on average have been killed. There can never be any justification for killing children. The situation in Gaza is monstrous and a blight on our common humanity. 

“For nearly 100 days, children have been paying the price for a conflict they have no part in. They are terrified, hurt, maimed, displaced. One percent of the child population of Gaza has already been killed by Israeli bombardments and ground operations. Others risk being killed by starvation and disease with famine coming ever closer.  For children who have survived, the mental harm inflicted and the utter devastation of infrastructure including homes, schools, and hospitals has decimated their futures.

Despite the record number of children killed and maimed, the international community has failed to act again and again. One grave violation committed against children is one too many. For the last three months, children in Gaza have faced grave violations every day, while conditions to provide them with the humanitarian assistance they need are simply not there. All parties must agree to a definitive ceasefire now.”

Save the Children is calling for a definitive ceasefire to save and protect the lives of children in Gaza and has called on the Government of Israel to allow the unfettered flow of aid and the resumption of entry of commercial goods into Gaza to prevent children from dying of starvation and disease.

Save the Children has been providing essential services and support to Palestinian children impacted by the ongoing conflict since 1953. Save the Children’s team in the occupied Palestinian territory has been working around the clock, prepositioning vital supplies to support people in need, and working to find ways to get assistance into Gaza.

-ENDS