UNICEF reported that Israeli bombardment, malnutrition, starvation, and the lack of humanitarian aid and vital services have resulted in the deaths of an average of 28 children per day in Gaza. UNICEF emphasised that children are dying not only from violence but also from severe shortages of food, water, medicine, and essential resources, calling urgently for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access
According to a UNICEF post on X, these deaths are a result of bombardments, malnutrition, starvation, and a lack of aid. The agency emphasised, “More than anything, they need a ceasefire, NOW,” urging immediate action to protect children who are in desperate need of food, clean water, medicine, and safety.
The Israeli army’s offensive, which has been ongoing since October 7, 2023, has resulted in the deaths of nearly 61,000 Palestinians, with almost half of the victims being women and children, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry that the UN considers reliable. In the past 24 hours, at least eight Palestinians, including one child, have died from starvation.
Death by bombardments.
Death by malnutrition and starvation.
Death by lack of aid and vital services.
In Gaza, an average of 28 children a day – the size of a classroom – have been killed.
Gaza's children need food, water, medicine and protection. More than anything, they need a… pic.twitter.com/7QIQQ6IAoG
— UNICEF (@UNICEF) August 4, 2025Last month, the Gaza Media Office warned that over 100,000 children, including 40,000 infants under the age of one, are at imminent risk of death due to a lack of baby formula and nutritional supplements, describing the situation as a “massacre in slow motion.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported 74 malnutrition-related deaths this year, with 63 in July alone—24 children under five, one over five, and 38 adults. WHO stressed the crisis is preventable, highlighting Israel’s heavy restrictions on aid entry into Gaza, under blockade for 15 years before the war.
Read: Netanyahu Expresses Shock Over Gaza Hostage Videos Amid Calls for Truce
The UN-mandated experts have warned of an unfolding famine in Gaza, exacerbated by the army’s campaign. Despite international calls for a ceasefire, the offensive continues, devastating the enclave and bringing it to the brink of famine. UNICEF and other agencies urge immediate humanitarian access and protection for children.
