Summary:
- At least 74 Palestinian children were killed in Gaza during the first week of 2025, with multiple mass casualty events occurring in Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Al Mawasi safe zone.
- Over one million children are living in makeshift tents amid harsh winter conditions, with eight infants dying from hypothermia since December 26.
- The last functioning pediatric hospital in northern Gaza, Kamal Adwan Hospital, has ceased operations following a raid, leaving the region without specialized child healthcare.
- Aid delivery remains critically insufficient with civil order breakdown leading to looting, while diplomatic efforts continue in Qatar for potential ceasefire talks.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that at least 74 Palestinian children lost their lives in Gaza during the first seven days of 2025, marking a tragic start to the new year in the conflict-ravaged territory.
Multiple mass casualty events have claimed young lives across Gaza, including nighttime attacks in Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Al Mawasi – a designated ‘safe zone’ in the south. The most recent attack in Al Mawasi resulted in the deaths of five children.
“For the children of Gaza, the new year has brought more death and suffering from attacks, deprivation, and increasing exposure to the cold,” stated UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
The humanitarian situation has reached critical levels, with over one million children living in makeshift tents amid harsh winter conditions. Eight infants and newborns have died from hypothermia since December 26, as young children struggle to regulate their body temperature in the severe cold.
The collapse of medical infrastructure has further exacerbated the crisis. Kamal Adwan Hospital, the last functioning medical facility with a pediatric unit in northern Gaza, ceased operations following a raid in late December, leaving the region without specialized pediatric care.
The overall death toll in Gaza has now exceeded 46,000 since October 2023, with women and children accounting for the majority of casualties. A recent study published in The Lancet suggests these figures could be understated by as much as 40%.
Aid delivery remains severely constrained, with the number of trucks entering Gaza falling far short of meeting basic needs. The situation is compounded by a breakdown in civil order, resulting in the looting of humanitarian supplies.
“UNICEF has long warned that inadequate shelter, lack of access to nutrition and healthcare, the dire sanitary situation, and now the winter weather put the lives of all children in Gaza at risk,” Russell emphasized.
The organization has called for immediate action to improve security conditions for aid delivery and urged all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law. This includes ceasing attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and ensuring rapid, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access to those in need.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts continue as Israeli officials head to Qatar for ceasefire talks, offering a glimmer of hope for the besieged population of Gaza, where approximately 90% of the 2.3 million residents have been displaced by the ongoing conflict.
Source: Unicef
