UNICEF reports more than 100 Palestinian children killed in Gaza during ceasefire period
By isabelle // 2026-01-14
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  • Gaza's ceasefire still sees Israeli forces killing roughly one child per day.
  • Children are also dying from hypothermia due to the ongoing blockade and siege.
  • A generation is being shattered by deep trauma and the destruction of education.
  • Humanitarian access remains severely restricted, making recovery impossible.
  • The world's inadequate response allows this loss of a generation to continue.
A so-called ceasefire in Gaza has not meant safety for Palestinian children. According to a shocking report from UNICEF, more than 100 children have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of a U.S.-brokered reduction in hostilities in early October. This statistic averages out to roughly one child killed every single day during a period the world has labeled as "calm." For the families in Gaza, there is no calm, only an ongoing nightmare where survival remains conditional and children continue to disappear from view under fire and blockade. UNICEF spokesperson James Elder delivered the somber update on January 13. He stated, "Life in Gaza remains suffocating." While bombings have slowed, he confirmed they "have not stopped." The UN children's agency has documented the killings of at least 60 boys and 40 girls since the ceasefire began, but Elder warned that "the actual number of Palestinian children killed is expected to be higher." Gaza’s Health Ministry places the number even higher, reporting 165 children killed in that time.

A ceasefire that buries children

The deaths are not only from direct fire. Among the 165 children reported killed by the Health Ministry, seven died from hypothermia. A severe Israeli blockade continues to restrict shelter materials, leaving families exposed to harsh winter conditions. This highlights how the humanitarian crisis, engineered through siege, acts as a silent killer alongside the weapons. Elder met one young victim, nine-year-old Abid Al Rahman, who was injured while collecting wood. "Shrapnel ripped into his eye," Elder said, noting that the metal fragment "is still lodged there." The ceasefire has allowed some limited humanitarian progress, such as waste removal and water repairs achieved through "Palestinian ingenuity." However, Elder stressed that two years of war have left children "living in fear," with deep psychological wounds festering untreated. "A ceasefire that slows the bombs is progress," he stated, "but one that still buries children is not enough." He called for enforcement, full humanitarian access, and accountability.

A generation shattered

The trauma extends far beyond the immediate casualties. A separate University of Cambridge-led report describes a generation on the brink, with children’s lives shattered by violence, starvation, and the eradication of any normal childhood. The study found children collapsing from exhaustion and being told not to play to conserve energy. One of the most devastating findings is the loss of hope and faith in international systems. "Students are asking about the reality of those rights. They feel they are killed just for being Gazans," an aid worker told researchers. The educational infrastructure, essential for any future, has been systematically destroyed. Jawad Shiekh-Khalil, director of education in western Gaza, told Al Jazeera that "90 percent of the Ministry of Education’s buildings have been completely or partially destroyed." Children have lost years of schooling, with the Cambridge study estimating a five-year learning loss already. If schools remain closed for longer, some teenagers could fall a full decade behind. Personal stories from the ground illustrate this systemic destruction. Thirteen-year-old Omar Halawa lost his leg and two friends while fetching water. His mother, Yasmin, recounted how he now visits the grave where they buried his amputated limb. "My leg went to heaven before me," Omar says. He suffers from nightmares and hair loss, a physical manifestation of severe trauma described by child psychiatrist Bahzad Al Akhras. Another 13-year-old, Rahaf Al Najjar, was shot in both legs by an Israeli quadcopter and watched her father die. The international response has been woefully inadequate. The Cambridge report notes severe "donor fatigue," with only a fraction of the needed aid for education being funded. With Gaza's economy paralyzed, recovery is impossible without sustained global commitment. Yet, as UNICEF’s Elder pointed out, the ceasefire has had the unintentional effect of making Palestinian children disappear from the world's view, even as they continue to be killed and traumatized. A ceasefire that still averages one child killed per day is a failed and meaningless term. The systematic destruction of health, education, and hope constitutes a war on the future itself. One teacher in Gaza described the resumption of exams amid ruins as "a miracle", but children should not need miracles to survive a day or to learn in a classroom. The world’s choice is now whether to finally enforce a real peace or to stand by as a whole generation is lost. Sources for this article include: TheCradle.co UNICEF.org Cam.ac.uk AlJazeera.com
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