Unicef uses figures released by Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry – figures which Israel has consistently disputed. The figures are seen by the UN and other international institutions as being reliable.
International journalists, including the BBC, are blocked by Israel from entering Gaza independently, so are unable to verify figures from either side.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told the BBC it is “committed to mitigating civilian harm during operational activity” and to “respecting all applicable international legal obligations, including the law of armed conflict”.
It said it “makes great efforts to estimate and consider potential civilian collateral damage in its strikes”.
Since the war began more than 18 months ago, Unicef said that 15,000 children have reportedly been killed, over 34,000 reportedly injured, and nearly one million children repeatedly displaced.
The humanitarian situation across Gaza has dramatically worsened in recent weeks, with Israel refusing to allow aid into the Gaza Strip since 2 March – the longest aid blockage since the war began.
“Without these essential supplies, malnutrition, diseases and other preventable conditions will likely surge, leading to an increase in preventable child deaths,” Unicef wrote in a press release.
The UN announced it was reducing its operations in Gaza on 24 March, one day after eight Palestinian medics, six Civil Defence first responders and a UN staff member were killed by Israeli forces in southern Gaza.
Read More: At least 322 children killed since Israel’s new Gaza offensive, Unicef says
