The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has reported that more than 50,000 Palestinian children have been killed or injured in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of Israel's large-scale military assault in October 2023.

The grim figure was shared in a statement posted on the agency’s official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, highlighting the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the besieged enclave. UNRWA said civilians — including children, medical staff, humanitarian workers, and journalists — continue to suffer and die amid what the agency called Israel’s “indiscriminate offensive.”

The statement came as Israel’s Chief of General Staff, Herzi Halevi, ordered an escalation of military operations in both the northern and southern parts of Gaza. According to the Israeli military, the stated objectives of the renewed campaign are to “defeat Hamas” and “create conditions for the return of hostages.” However, human rights organisations and UN agencies warn that the expansion is intensifying civilian suffering and contributing to the near-total collapse of Gaza’s social infrastructure.

As part of the military’s renewed operations, Israeli forces announced plans to establish new humanitarian aid distribution centers. But international organisations and aid groups have dismissed the initiative as both ineffective and discriminatory, citing ongoing Israeli restrictions on humanitarian access.

For more than 90 days, Israel has maintained a near-total blockade of Gaza’s border crossings, severely impeding the entry of life-saving food, water, and medical supplies. Aid workers say the deliberate policy is pushing Gaza’s 2.4 million residents toward famine, with children suffering the most.

In an attempt to address the crisis, Israel and the United States jointly launched the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation last month, a new aid coordination mechanism. However, the initiative has come under widespread criticism. Several UN bodies have questioned the foundation’s legitimacy, and reports from the ground indicate that its operations in so-called “safe zones” in southern Gaza have repeatedly ended in chaos. Multiple deadly shootings by Israeli forces at aid distribution points have further undermined the effort’s credibility.

The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels, with international agencies calling for an immediate ceasefire, full humanitarian access, and accountability for violations of international law. (ILKHA)