More than 100 children killed in Gaza since ceasefire

More than 100 minors have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the October truce, according to the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF.

The organization reported that 60 boys and 40 girls under the age of 18 died.

The Gaza Strip’s Health Ministry, run by Hamas militants, confirmed the figures and presented itself as UNICEF’s main source of data. United Nations organizations have always described the ministry’s figures as reliable.

Health authority figures could not be independently verified.

The Israeli military has stated upon request that it never deliberately targets children and always tries to spare civilians during its operations. He said that under the truce agreement, the army had targeted only terrorist targets or responded to violations of the agreement by Hamas.

The army also called for caution regarding the figures put forward by health authorities. The information provided by the military also could not be independently verified.

UNICEF spokesman James Elder, who is in the Gaza Strip, said the deaths were mainly due to airstrikes and drones.

“The bombing has slowed but has not stopped,” he said.

He added that some victims were also hit by gunfire and a few were killed by unexploded ordnance earlier. He believes the actual number of people killed was higher because UNICEF only counts what it considers verified cases.

Six children have already died of hypothermia this winter in Gaza, Elder said.

Thousands of people are living in tents amid widespread destruction caused by freezing cold and rain. Nighttime temperatures in the Gaza Strip are currently dropping to around 10 degrees Celsius, with heavy rains and storms.