GAZA CITY, Palestine / ISTANBUL

The lives of one million children in the Gaza Strip “are marked by war and destruction,” the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.

“Children make up half of the population in Gaza. Their lives are marked by war and destruction,” UNRWA said in a statement.

According to the refugee agency, Gaza’s children are deprived of education and sufficient amounts of food, and are forcibly displaced under Israel’s ongoing genocidal war.

The UN agency called for an immediate ceasefire “for Gaza’s children and a better future in the region.”

UN figures show that more than 658,000 children have been out of school in Gaza for nearly two years, and over 90% of educational facilities have been destroyed in Israeli attacks.

At least 66 children have starved to death in Gaza since October 2023 due to the Israeli siege on the enclave, Palestinian figures showed.

According to World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, an estimated 112 children are being admitted to Gaza hospitals each day for malnutrition treatment.

Israel has kept Gaza’s main crossings largely closed since March 2, blocking hundreds of aid and supply trucks. UN agencies say Gaza requires at least 500 trucks daily to meet basic needs, but often fewer than 50 are allowed to enter.

The Israeli army has killed more than 57,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and a spread of disease.

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.