Nearly 22,000 Palestinian children have been killed in Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip, including 1,125 infants under the age of one, while hundreds of thousands face hunger, displacement and the collapse of essential services, Gaza’s Government Media Office said on Sunday.

The office said 21,976 children had been killed and their bodies brought to hospitals during the war. More than 612 infants were reportedly born and killed during the same period, leaving them no opportunity to experience life beyond the devastation engulfing the besieged enclave.

More than 22,000 school students have also been killed, while approximately 650,000 school-age children have been deprived of education, according to the office.

Children, women and elderly people account for more than 55% of those killed, it added, highlighting the devastating impact of the war on Gaza’s most vulnerable population.

Thousands of children orphaned

The Government Media Office said 62,247 children had lost one or both parents during the war. Of these, more than 2,774 had lost both parents, 8,394 had lost their mothers and 58,875 had lost their fathers.

The figures reflect the profound social and psychological toll of the conflict on Palestinian families, many of whom have been left without caregivers, homes or reliable access to basic necessities.

Hunger, malnutrition and winter cold threaten children's lives

The office warned that approximately 650,000 children faced the risk of death from hunger, malnutrition and severe food shortages, including 40,000 infants under the age of one. It reported that 164 children had died from hunger and malnutrition.

It also said 25 children had died from severe cold in displacement camps, accounting for most of the 28 cold-related deaths reported. The office warned that more children could die if inadequate shelter and harsh humanitarian conditions persist.

Children have also suffered life-changing injuries. According to the office, they account for 18% of more than 5,400 reported amputations, equivalent to approximately 972 children.

Thousands need urgent medical evacuation

More than 5,200 children require urgent medical evacuation outside Gaza, while another 5,803 sick children are awaiting travel for specialized treatment, the office said.

It added that 2,432 children with diabetes faced potentially life-threatening complications because of insulin shortages.

The office also reported more than 12,000 miscarriages among pregnant women, which it attributed to severe food shortages and inadequate access to basic healthcare.

It called on the international community, the UN Security Council, the International Criminal Court and children's rights organizations to take immediate action to stop the war, lift the blockade, facilitate the entry of food and medical supplies, and hold those responsible for reported violations accountable.

Ceasefire fails to protect Gaza's children

The latest figures come amid continuing reports of Palestinian casualties despite a ceasefire announced in October 2025.

More than 100 humanitarian, human rights and civil society organizations, including Amnesty International, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Save the Children and Oxfam, have warned that the ceasefire has failed to provide adequate protection for civilians.

According to figures cited by the groups from Gaza's Health Ministry, Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,400 Palestinians since the ceasefire was announced, including at least 327 children, while 547 children have been injured.

“Nearly one child has been killed every day” since the ceasefire was announced, Norwegian Refugee Council Secretary-General Jan Egeland said.

“A ceasefire is meaningless if children are still being killed,” Save the Children Chief Executive Inger Ashing said.

UNICEF has also reported that at least 300 children were killed in the 300 days following the ceasefire announcement, an average of one child per day.

Children bear the devastating cost of the war

The war, which began on October 7, 2023, has killed at least 74,254 Palestinians, including more than 21,000 children, according to figures cited in the reports.

UNICEF has reported that at least 64,000 children have been killed or injured in Gaza since the beginning of the war. Save the Children has said that, over 23 months of fighting, an average of at least one child was killed every hour.

Among the children killed were at least 1,009 infants under the age of one, including 450 who were born and died during the war, according to Save the Children. Thousands more children remain missing or are believed to be buried beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings.

The mounting toll underscores the catastrophic consequences of the war for Gaza's children, who continue to face death, life-altering injuries, displacement, hunger and the loss of their families while access to essential humanitarian assistance remains critical. (ILKHA)