LONDON

The BBC World Service said it compiled evidence on over 160 cases where children were shot by Israeli forces in Gaza, and found that in 95 cases, the child was shot in the head or chest.

Most of the victims were under the age of 12, according to the investigation.

The cases, which stretch from the opening weeks of the conflict through to July this year, paint a grim picture of the war’s toll on Gazan children.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 60,000 Palestinians/

The relentless bombing, blockade and poor distribution of aid has destroyed the enclave, collapsed the health system and led to deaths by starvation.

"Some of the cases we looked at like children were allegedly shot while fleeing battle zones, but many others were shot while playing outside their tents in humanitarian zones and some in areas the IDF themselves had marked as evacuation corridors," the investigation said.

The BBC also referenced a video broadcast in April on Israeli TV. In the clip, an Israeli army commander is seen speaking to his troops, telling them to "shoot at everyone they see."

Israeli rights groups B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel have said Israel's conduct in Gaza constitutes genocide, citing the systematic destruction of Palestinian society and the deliberate dismantling of the territory’s health care system.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.