UNICEF says more than 60,000 children in Gaza have lost parents

GENEVA — The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday that more than 60,000 children in Gaza have lost one or both parents since the start of the war, including after a ceasefire was announced, according to a report by Antara. The agency said the humanitarian situation in the territory remains critical.

UNICEF estimates that 60,000 children in Gaza have seen one or both of their parents killed during the war or since the ceasefire, the agency said in a statement. The figure is an estimate. Antara did not say how it was calculated.

The agency also said that more than a year after the ceasefire was announced, more than 340 children have been killed and hundreds more injured. Antara reported these figures without giving the dates they cover or the sources behind them.

According to UNICEF, about 800,000 children are still displaced. Most live in tents or in buildings damaged by bombing, the agency said.

UNICEF said humanitarian needs in the territory remain very large and that available funding is not enough. It called on the parties to the conflict to observe the terms of the ceasefire, to comply with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803, and to meet their obligations under international humanitarian law.

Antara also reported that the United Nations assesses the humanitarian situation in Gaza as still deeply concerning. The UN cited widespread destruction, disruption to medical facilities, and obstacles to delivering food and basic supplies to residents. Antara's report did not say which agency made this assessment or when it was made.

Antara reported that Israeli forces have continued strikes in Gaza despite the ceasefire, and that the Israeli military says its targets are facilities and members of Hamas. Antara wrote that the Israeli military has offered no strong evidence for this claim. The Israeli military's position is reported here as stated by Antara and has not been independently verified in this report.

Background

The conflict escalated in October 2023, when Israel faced a large-scale attack from the Gaza Strip, according to Antara. Israel then launched a ground operation that left much of the territory largely destroyed, Antara said.

A ceasefire has been in place since October 2025, according to Antara. Antara reported that Israeli military operations have continued in the territory during this period.

Antara's report is based on a single source. Other outlets have not been checked for this account, and the figures have not been confirmed by a second source.