International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression: Palestinian Children Are Paying the Price of War, Hunger, and Deprivation
Occupied Palestinian Territory – The International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression is observed annually on 4th of June to shed the light on the importance of protecting children in situations of armed conflict. On this occasion, it is essential to shed light on the catastrophic reality facing Palestinian children, particularly in the Gaza Strip, where childhood has been transformed into an arena of bombardment, hunger, displacement, and deprivation of the most basic rights.
Since the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza in October 2023, children have paid a devastating price. A total of 21,283 children have been killed out of 72,289 overall fatalities, accounting for nearly one-third of all victims. Among the children killed were 450 infants, 1,029 children under the age of one, and 5,031 children under the age of five, highlighting the shocking scale of the tragedy affecting the most vulnerable members of society.
Children have not only been targeted through killing and bombardment; they have also been subjected to hunger, cold, and siege, which have become additional tools claiming children's lives. 157 children have died from starvation, while 25 children lost their lives due to cold and freezing conditions in displacement tents. Meanwhile, approximately 9,500 people remain missing beneath the rubble, the majority of them women and children.
At least 44,486 children have been injured during the war, while 10,500 children are living with life-altering injuries, including more than 1,000 cases of limb amputation. Around 4,000 children face the risk of death unless they receive urgent medical evacuation and specialized healthcare.
According to data from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), more than 58,000 children in Gaza have lost one or both parents, leaving profound social and psychological consequences that will endure for years to come.
Amid the ongoing siege and the collapse of food systems, the malnutrition crisis among children continues to worsen, with tens of thousands facing serious health risks due to food insecurity and the severe shortage of healthcare services.
Children's right to education has also been severely violated. Approximately 700,000 students in Gaza have been deprived of their right to education following the destruction or damage of hundreds of schools. Since the beginning of the war, 18,971 students have been killed and 28,293 others injured, making this one of the most severe education crises in the world today.
More than 1.1 million children in Gaza are experiencing severe psychological distress and require protection, psychosocial support, and mental health services as a result of losing family members, repeated displacement, and daily exposure to violence and destruction.
In the West Bank, violations against Palestinian children continue through killing, detention, and forced displacement. More than 1,655 child arrests have been documented since the start of the war, while 350 children remain in detention as of March 2026. In addition, more than 12,000 children are living in conditions of forced displacement as a result of ongoing military operations in the northern West Bank.
ActionAid Palestine emphasizes that these figures are not merely statistics; they represent the lives of children who have been deprived of their rights to safety, education, health, and a life of dignity. Protecting Palestinian children is a legal and moral responsibility of the international community and requires urgent action to end violations and ensure unhindered access to humanitarian assistance and essential services.
On the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, ActionAid Palestine renews its call for the protection of Palestinian children, an end to all forms of violence and violations against them, and the safeguarding of their rights to life, dignity, and a safe future worthy of their dreams and aspirations.
About ActionAid International
ActionAid International is a global federation working with more than 41 million people across over 72 of the world’s poorest countries. We strive for a world founded on justice and sustainability, where everyone enjoys a life of dignity, freedom, and a world free from poverty and oppression. Our work focuses on achieving social justice, gender equality, and eradicating poverty.
ActionAid began its work in Palestine in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of the Palestinian people, grounded in their right to freedom, justice, and self-determination. In Palestine, ActionAid implements various programmes through engagement with Palestinian communities, youth groups, and women. We aim to empower women and young people, enhance their effective civic and political participation, deepen their understanding of their rights, and mobilize them to engage in collective action to address rights violations resulting from prolonged occupation. Additionally, we work to strengthen their leadership capacities and support them in practicing active citizenship by holding authorities and other duty bearers accountable.
For more information, please contact:
Riham Jafari
Communications and Advocacy coordinator – ActionAid Palestine