"The UN Human Rights Office has been verifying the personal details of those killed in Gaza by strikes, shelling and other conduct of hostilities. Of those fatalities, it has so far found close to 70 per cent to be children and women, indicating a systematic violation of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, including distinction and proportionality," the OHCHR said in a press statement.
The UN agency has identified three age groups of children among the deceased: those between the ages of 5 and 9, those between the ages of 10 and 14, and infants and children under the age of 4. Additionally, the OHCHR reports that about 80% of the casualties occurred in residential homes or dwellings.
Israel was subjected to an unparalleled rocket assault from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023. Palestinian Hamas militants then infiltrated border regions, opening fire on military and civilian targets and abducting more than 200 people. Almost 1,200 Israelis died.