The UN Human Rights Office has reported that nearly 70% of the fatalities it has verified in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza were women and children, condemning the deaths as a “systematic violation” of international humanitarian law. This finding was based on the first seven months of the conflict, which began in October 2023.
According to the UN’s findings, the 8,119 fatalities verified in this period are far fewer than the more than 43,000 deaths reported by Palestinian health authorities over the course of the 13-month conflict. However, the UN’s breakdown of the casualties by age and gender supports the Palestinian claim that a significant proportion of those killed have been women and children, underscoring the devastating toll on Gaza’s civilian population.
In its statement, the UN Human Rights Office highlighted what it described as a breach of the fundamental principles of international law, including the principles of distinction (the obligation to differentiate between civilians and combatants) and proportionality (ensuring the harm to civilians is not excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage).
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, emphasized the need for impartial judicial bodies to address the alleged violations and called for the collection and preservation of evidence for future accountability.
The Israeli military, which launched its offensive following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel—resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 Israelis and the capture of more than 250 hostages—has insisted that it takes steps to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza. Israel attributes the high civilian death toll to Hamas, which it accuses of using civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, as shields. Hamas, however, denies these allegations.
The youngest victim verified by the UN was a one-day-old baby, and the oldest was a 97-year-old woman. Children accounted for 44% of the fatalities, with those aged 5 to 9 representing the largest age group. The report noted that the majority of attacks resulted in the deaths of multiple people, with 88% of the incidents causing five or more deaths. This suggests the use of weapons with widespread effects, although the UN also acknowledged that some fatalities may have been caused by errant projectiles from Palestinian groups.
The report paints a grim picture of the toll the conflict has taken on Gaza’s population, raising serious concerns about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region.
