Nearly 70 percent of those killed so far in the war in Gaza have been women and children, according to a new report from the United Nations human rights office.
The office speaks of “a systematic violation of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law”.
These are fatalities that the UN itself has been able to verify. This means that the death has been confirmed by three sources, such as neighbors or family members. In total, this was possible for 8,119 deaths.
Forty-four percent of those fatalities were 18 or younger, according to the report. The youngest victim the UN could verify was just one day old. The oldest victim was a 97-year-old woman.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk called it “vital that there is accountability for allegations of serious violations of international law.” In the meantime, he said, “all information and evidence must be collected and preserved.”
Local authorities in Gaza say that around 43,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7 last year. This figure is generally considered reliable.
