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UNICEF calls Gaza ceasefire ‘deadly illusion’ as 265 Palestinian children killed since October

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7-year-old Hala Hassan Labad lies on a bed, who survived with injuries after an Israeli airstrike on an apartment building, receiving treatment in the burn unit of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine, on June 06, 2026. [Saeed M. M. T. Jaras – Anadolu Agency]

At least 265 Palestinian children have been killed in Gaza since a ceasefire was announced in October 2025, UNICEF said on Friday, describing the truce as a “deadly illusion” and warning that violence continues despite the declared halt in hostilities, Anadolu reports.

“During a period supposedly defined by restraint and protection, a child has been killed, on average, every single day for more than eight months,” UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told reporters in Geneva.

He described the ceasefire as a “cruel and deadly illusion” and questioned whether it could still be considered a ceasefire while children continue to die.

“While the world continues to speak the language of ceasefire, families in Gaza continue to bury their sons and daughters,” he said.

Elder said the children were killed in homes, schools and public spaces, including while playing football or fishing.

“This week: a 2-year-old boy was shot and killed by Israeli forces; a 13-year-old boy was shot and killed inside his tent; a 5-year-old boy and his father were killed by an Israeli strike, and on and on it goes,” he said.

READ: Gaza municipalities warn of humanitarian, health catastrophe as basic services near collapse

According to UNICEF, more than 400 children have also been injured since October, many suffering severe wounds.

“The suffering does not end with those killed. More than 400 children have been injured, many with catastrophic wounds,” Elder said.

He cited recent cases involving a 12-year-old girl who was shot in the chest while inside her tent and a 3-year-old girl who was shot in the face by a bullet from a quadcopter drone while inside her home.

Elder warned that hundreds of children urgently require medical evacuation and said restrictions on essential medicines are increasing the risk of infection, complications and amputations among wounded children.

He also highlighted the psychological impact of the conflict.

“For Gaza’s children, fear, loss and violence have become so constant that trauma is no longer an episode in their lives — it is woven into the very fabric of their childhood,” he said.

Elder called on governments and international institutions to act, arguing that continued child deaths during a ceasefire should alarm those committed to upholding international law.

He also pointed to Lebanon, where UNICEF said 247 children have been killed and 992 injured since an escalation of hostilities on March 2.

“No ceasefire can be considered meaningful while children continue to be killed,” he said.

READ: Israel tops UN list of grave violations against children in 2025

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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