More than 340 Palestinian children have been killed in the Gaza Strip since a ceasefire was announced just over a year ago, as Israeli attacks, mass displacement and the collapse of essential services continue to threaten children’s lives, the UN children’s agency UNICEF said on Friday.

In the past two weeks alone, five boys and two girls were reportedly killed, while at least 33 children sustained serious injuries in Israeli air strikes, drone attacks and gunfire across the besieged enclave. Two other boys died from injuries sustained earlier, UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires told reporters in Geneva.

“These terrible statistics do not equate with a ceasefire as most would imagine one,” Pires said, highlighting the devastating toll of continued violence on Palestinian children.

Around 800,000 Palestinian children remain displaced, with many forced to shelter in tents or damaged buildings after repeated Israeli bombardment and the destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, according to UNICEF.

An estimated 60,000 children have lost one or both parents, while nearly all children in Gaza require some form of mental health support after enduring prolonged violence, bereavement and displacement.

Gaza’s children face another winter amid collapsing services

UNICEF warned that children are approaching a fourth winter in increasingly desperate conditions, with the enclave’s damaged infrastructure leaving families exposed to severe weather and public health risks.

All six wastewater treatment plants in Gaza are out of service, forcing most untreated sewage to be discharged into the sea and raising serious concerns about sanitation and disease.

Pires also warned that the Sheikh Radwan stormwater basin, which is already half full, could overflow into residential neighbourhoods when winter rains arrive, putting displaced families and children at further risk.

The basin could be drained within two weeks if the necessary equipment were available, he said, but Israel has not permitted the required equipment to enter Gaza.

UNICEF urged Israeli authorities to allow essential materials, spare parts, generators and fuel into the territory to restore vital services and prevent further suffering. It also called on Israel to uphold the ceasefire.

“Gaza’s children have suffered far too much, for far too long,” Pires said.

The agency’s warning underscores the continuing humanitarian crisis facing Palestinian children, many of whom remain homeless, bereaved and deprived of basic services despite the ceasefire announcement. (ILKHA)