Over 60,000 Gaza Children Lose One Or Both Parents In Conflict

(MENAFN- Nam News Network)

GENEVA, Oct 20 (NNN-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) -- More than 60,000 children in Gaza have lost one or both parents since the start of hostilities, including during the period following the ceasefire, while the humanitarian situation in the enclave remains critical, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti.

“An estimated 60,000 children in Gaza have seen either one or both parents killed during the conflict or since the ceasefire,” the organisation said in a report.

It has been just over a year since the ceasefire was announced. During this period, more than 340 children have been killed and hundreds more injured, according to available data, UNICEF noted.

Approximately 800,000 children remain displaced, with most living in tents or dangerous, bomb-damaged buildings.

Humanitarian needs in the enclave remain immense, while funding continues to fall short, the organisation said.

UNICEF has called on the parties to the conflict to observe the terms of the ceasefire, comply with the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and fulfil their obligations under international humanitarian law.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict escalated in October 2023 when Israel came under a large-scale, unprecedented attack from the Gaza Strip.

In response, the Israeli military launched a ground operation that has left much of the territory devastated.

Although a ceasefire has been in effect in the Gaza Strip since October 2025, the Israeli military continues to carry out strikes on Palestinian territory, saying it is targeting facilities and members of Hamas.

According to UN assessments, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip remains dire, with widespread destruction, disruptions to medical services and persistent difficulties in providing the population with food and essential supplies.

--NNN-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI

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