UNICEF: 74 children killed in Gaza Strip during first week of 2025
At least 74 children have been killed in ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip during the first week of 2025, according to UNICEF. The fatalities occurred in several mass casualty events, including nighttime attacks in Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Al Mawasi, designated as a ‘safe zone’ in the south. The most recent attack on Al Mawasi claimed the lives of five children.
“For the children of Gaza, the new year has brought more death and suffering from attacks, deprivation, and exposure to the cold,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, calling for an urgent ceasefire.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. Over a million children are living in makeshift shelters amid winter temperatures, with many families displaced over the past 15 months. Since late December, at least eight infants have reportedly died from hypothermia due to inadequate shelter and heating.
Essential services are collapsing under the strain. Aid deliveries remain insufficient, with limited trucks entering Gaza to meet basic needs. The destruction of civilian infrastructure has left families struggling for food, water, and healthcare.
Kamal Adwan Hospital, the only facility with a pediatric unit in northern Gaza, ceased operations following a raid in late December, worsening the medical crisis. Civil order has also broken down, with reports of looting of humanitarian supplies. The few remaining hospitals are overwhelmed, unable to cope with the growing demand for care.
UNICEF has urged all parties to the conflict to adhere to international humanitarian law, cease attacks on civilians and infrastructure, and facilitate safe and unimpeded humanitarian access. The organization has also called for an end to the violence and immediate measures to alleviate suffering, particularly for children and vulnerable populations.
