World
UNICEF: More than 260 Palestinian children killed in Gaza since ceasefire began
More than 260 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire began in October 2025, according to UNICEF spokesperson James Elder, who warned that conditions for children remain dire despite the truce.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency on Thursday, Elder described the ceasefire as a “cruel and deadly illusion.”
“We are in the midst of a supposed ceasefire, but what we are seeing is a cruel and deadly illusion of a ceasefire. An average of one child dies every day,” he said.
Elder said that two sisters were killed on Saturday and that other children had recently been killed in drone strikes and aerial bombardments.
The UNICEF spokesperson also warned that Gaza’s children continue to face severe humanitarian hardships, particularly malnutrition and shortages of clean water.
“We have managed to avert famine, but we have not been able to bring in sufficient quantities of nutritious food,” Elder said.
“No child in Gaza can eat three meals a day containing all the nutrients they need. This is what the ceasefire in Gaza looks like.”
He added that children require a varied diet but are receiving only limited types of food, while restrictions on humanitarian supplies continue to hamper relief efforts.
“Nearly nine months into the ceasefire, there are still significant shortages of water, and children are not receiving adequate nutrition,” Elder said.
Separately on Thursday, medical sources in Gaza reported that one Palestinian was killed in Israeli artillery shelling in the town of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, while another died from wounds sustained in an earlier Israeli strike west of Gaza City.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israeli violations since the ceasefire took effect on 10th October 2025, have resulted in the deaths of 1,031 Palestinians and injuries to 3,309 others.
