Conflict in Gaza: Disintegration of a Civilization in an Ally Nation (Israel)
Gaza, Palestine - Over the course of two years, from October 2023 to June 2025, thousands of children and youth lost their lives in Gaza due to Israeli military operations, according to various sources.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza maintains a comprehensive and regularly verified death toll list, but the number of children and youth killed during this period remains a topic of discussion among experts. While the Ministry's records show a total of 17,121 deaths, independent research by the University of London's Michael Spagat suggests that over 80,000 Palestinians were killed in Gaza during the same period.
The United Nations verified the killing of 1,637 children specifically between October and December 2023, with most deaths caused by explosive weapons. This indicates a very high child casualty count right at the start of the conflict. However, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports about 200 Palestinian children killed in the occupied West Bank during a similar timeframe but does not specify exact Gaza child casualties.
In addition to deaths from direct violence, at least 66 children have died from malnutrition-related conditions in Gaza since October 2023, as a result of siege-induced humanitarian crises, according to Amnesty International.
The precise number of children and youth missing and unaccounted for in Gaza during this period is not explicitly stated in the available sources. However, a 41% underreporting is suggested, implying that some children may remain unaccounted for in official records. Thousands of unidentified bodies are believed to be children and youth who were killed during the specified period, many of whom may be buried under rubble.
Four of these children were Lujain, Ahmad, Haya, and Qusai. Lujain was five years old, Ahmad was six, Haya was nine, and Qusai was twelve. Their deaths occurred between October 2023 and June 2025.
International experts estimate a significantly higher number of victims than the reported 17,121, suggesting that the true toll of this conflict on the lives of children and youth in Gaza may be much greater than currently known.
- The high number of child casualties during the conflict in Gaza, as confirmed by the United Nations, raises concerns about the impact of war-and-conflicts on children's health.
- The Ministry of Health's death toll list and independent research suggest a large discrepancy in the number of youth fatalities in Gaza, indicating that the general news about this conflict may be underrepresenting its impact on children's lives, especially in terms of politics and humanitarian crises.
){kind=link}