GAZA

CVBNM

1. Death toll: Approximately 1,200 Israeli civilians and foreign nationals were killed, and about 250 people were abducted as hostages.
2. Be’eri Kibbutz: At least 101 civilians killed, including many women and security personnel. At least 32 residents abducted. Bodies found naked or bound in some cases. Reports of sexual violence there remain unverified, with at least two high-profile claims later deemed unfounded.
3. Nova Music Festival near Re’im: Over 360 people were murdered; 44 hostages taken, 16 still held captive as of mid?2025. UN investigators believe multiple rapes and gang rapes took place, often followed by murder. Bodies were found tied, undressed, and shot.
4. Road 232 and Kibbutz Re’im: Witness accounts indicate at least two women were raped, and bodies were found with genital injuries. Victims were partially or fully naked, bound, and shot in the head.
5. Systematic sexual violence: The Israeli Association of Rape Crisis Centers (ARCCI) and the UN Special Representative concluded there is credible evidence of organized, intentional sexual violence, including rape, gang rape, forced nudity, and genital mutilation carried out publicly or in front of victims’ families.
6. Hostage abuse in Gaza: UN investigators found clear and convincing information that some hostages held in Gaza were subjected to sexualized torture, rape, and degrading treatment, which may be ongoing

Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder

27 May 2025

UNICEF/UNI767014/Nateel 2 year old Alma. Gaza City, Al-Rimal, Omar Al-Mukhtar Street March 2025

AMMAN, 27 May 2025 – “In a 72-hour period this weekend, images from two horrific attacks provide yet more evidence of the unconscionable cost of this ruthless war on children in the Gaza Strip.

“On Friday, we saw videos of the bodies of burnt, dismembered children from the al-Najjar family being pulled from the rubble of their home in Khan Younis. Of 10 siblings under 12 years old, only one reportedly survived, with critical injuries.

“Early Monday, we saw images of a small child trapped in a burning school in Gaza City. That attack, in the early hours of the morning, reportedly killed at least 31 people, including 18 children.

“These children – lives that should never be reduced to numbers – are now part of a long, harrowing list of unimaginable horrors: the grave violations against children, the blockade of aid, the starvation, the constant forced displacement, and the destruction of hospitals, water systems, schools, and homes. In essence, the destruction of life itself in the Gaza Strip.

“Since the end of the ceasefire on 18 March, 1,309 children have reportedly been killed and 3,738 injured. In total, more than 50,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured since October 2023. How many more dead girls and boys will it take? What level of horror must be livestreamed before the international community fully steps up, uses its influence, and takes bold, decisive action to force the end of this ruthless killing of children?

“UNICEF is once again urging all parties to the conflict to end the violence, protect civilians, including children, respect international humanitarian law and human rights law, allow the immediate provision of humanitarian aid, and release all hostages.

“The children of Gaza need protection. They need food, water, and medicine. They need a ceasefire. But more than anything, they need immediate, collective action to stop this once and for all.”

Media contacts

Ricardo Pires

Communication Manager

UNICEF New York

Tel: +1 9176311226

Email: rpires@unicef.org

Tess Ingram

UNICEF Middle East and North Africa

Tel: +962 7 9385 7212

Email: tingram@unicef.org

About UNICEF

UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, works to protect the rights of every child, everywhere, especially the most disadvantaged children and in the toughest places to reach. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we do whatever it takes to help children survive, thrive, and fulfil their potential.

Follow UNICEF on X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

A world we long for...

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Blo, you think think that Israel's response is unwarranted?

Most of the world does at this point. A reaction was warranted but it's long since crossed the line of being proportional to outright punitive.

Blo, you think think that Israel's response is unwarranted?

Kakkies, the word you're looking for is 'excessive'

The Muslims supported by IRAN started this war and now because they are being hunted down you are upset and calling for peace.

What about the number of proven criminal acts performed and still continue to be carried out by the Muslims ????????

Yes children and others are suffering but did the Muslims ever think what would happen if they poked and continue to poke the bear.

I do not recall you bleeding hearts speaking up when Israel was attacked, do you?

Unfortunately wars result in the defeated using propaganda and the innocent suffering in seeking support instead of laying down their arms, expelling the warmongers and working for a peaceful existence with Israel.

They started the war with the help of Iran and now they are crying out to the world calling for the war to end because they are suffering.

The suffering is a result of their war actions and defeated by an outnumbered Israel population that wish for nothing other than peace.

.

Hamas could end the war at any point. All they have to do is give up and turn themselves in.

Then Israel would immediately stop.

Yet, we don't see any of the bleeding hearts calling for the actual perpetrators of this war to stop.

On the one hand they demonise Putin for starting a war, but on the other they blame Israel for finishing a war that their enemies started.

Seems a touch weird to me.

Keep blasting them until Hamas give up and if Hamas never give up then never stop blasting them. Else, you show them mercy and in 10 years time they do the same thing again and you look back wondering why you never finished the job in the first place because now you've again lost 1000 innocent people.

Starrie, Blo, Denise...put on your big girl panties and admit that Hamas started this, and Hamas can end it any moment moment they choose.

Hamas are responsible for every single death of every single Palestinian civilian.

Admit it!

It is very funny to read how frustrated liberals get when their cheap tricks fail to convince. No matter how stupid HAMAS are , they are not stupid enough not to perceive that releasing the hostages will change nothing. Israel will keep going as they keep going in other places like the west bank. Liberal countries that have been supporting the GAZA mayhem unflinching will come out to condemn the move just as they have been doing so far. Liberals have not changed, they are as genocidal as they were at their start and it will keep increasingly showing.

The US & Israel were once upon a time two of my top 10 countries.

Under their respective current leaderships their politics disgust me .

Fucking evil monsters.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/jul/22/food-aid-gaza-deaths-visual-story-ghf-israel

The world is a lesser place since the low life Trump came along......any low life act is the new norm.

Netanyahu's emboldened by the insidious Trump

I think the point is, STOP fucking with the Jews and hiding behind kids.

Assume that the Palestinians wake up one morning and 50% of them have decided to give Hamas up to Israel in order to end the conflict.

How does this work anyway? Did Hamas just do the attacks an then go and hide while Israel kills Palestinians? I mean, they're not a "fighting" force. It's all asymmetric tactics at this point.

Now I wonder, if their religion wasn't such a big part of this, would Palestinians give up Hamas more easily?

I don't know, but i kind of feel like they would and in that case Palestinians would stop dying.

I think the point is, STOP fucking with the Jews and hiding behind kids.

Yep.. quite simple really

bobbok your post on the suffering in Gaza are a bit rich for an Ex-Nat don't you think.

What makes you think he's an ex-Nat?

Ex-Nat se gat, they were the reason for my early exit from SA.

Gosh there’s a howdy do….Blob a NAT?

Israel-Gaza war

‘We faced hunger before, but never like this’: skeletal children fill hospital wards as starvation grips Gaza

Who did you prefer Verwoerd or Vorster?

Fanie Galore

"We faced hunger before, but never like this’: skeletal children fill hospital wards as starvation grips Gaza"

Indeed, it is disgusting what Hamas are doing.

Hamas could end the war at any point. All they have to do is give up and turn themselves in.

Then Israel would immediately stop.

Sure we can call of Hamas to surrender, as if they will do it. But Hamas not surrendering does not excuse Israel for its obligations under international law as the occupying power to protect civilians, not kill them.

Aside from which given the absolute headbangers insides Israel's government it's really not clear if Israel would stop.

Yet, we don't see any of the bleeding hearts calling for the actual perpetrators of this war to stop.

The bleeding hearts are most of the world population by now. They have called for an immediate and permanent end to the war and the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages as well as the bodies of the deceased hostages. There has also been several peace initiatives and diplomatic paths that have looked promising and even lead to temporary ceasefire's that the Israeli's chose to ignore or break.

On the one hand they demonise Putin for starting a war, but on the other they blame Israel for finishing a war that their enemies started.

Seems a touch weird to me.

Because the two situations are not the same. What happened on October 7th is part of continuing cycle of repression and of violent reaction to that repression, that's not to excuse the action of Hamas on October 7th but the situation with Israel effectively having Gaza in a permanent blockade with no prospect of it changing it was never going to lead to peaceful co-existence between the two sides.

I might be a touch more sympathetic to Russia when they invaded had it actually turned out the Ukrainian's were committing genocide against Russia speakers in the Donbass but in reality the war was waged on the grounds of nothing more than Putin's imperial fantasy's.

We are not blaming Israel for fighting the war in the first place we are blaming them for how they are conducting it, the lack of clear end goal, the excessive force, the collective punishment, war crimes and starvation among the civilian population. Israel claims to be a modern democracy aligned to western values like protecting human life and dignity.

Keep blasting them until Hamas give up and if Hamas never give up then never stop blasting them. Else, you show them mercy and in 10 years time they do the same thing again and you look back wondering why you never finished the job in the first place because now you've again lost 1000 innocent people.

Haven't you figured it out yet, how many times has Israel tried to blast whoever their enemy is only to create more enemies and to repeat the process every few years ad nauseum for 78 years. It's never worked and it will never work, all it does it gets thousands of innocents killed and leaves Israel with the exact same security problem down the road. They will never know peace until they come to an accommodation with the Palestinians and allow for a viable Palestinian state. All their doing is risking their own long term survival because at some point the west and even America and Germany will say enough we can't be part of these crimes, Israel cut a deal or you're on your own.

Starrie, Blo, Denise...put on your big girl panties and admit that Hamas started this, and Hamas can end it any moment moment they choose.

Hamas are responsible for every single death of every single Palestinian civilian.

Admit it!

They they are both responsible. Hamas committing an unspeakably terrible act on October 7th doesn't excuse Israel committing an even greater crime. Hamas doesn't make Israeli snipers shoot toddlers twice, it didn't make Israel shoot up clearly marked ambulances then tie up the survivors before executing and burying them in a mass grave along with the ambulance. Does Hamas make Israel deliberately target journalists. You cited Hamas use of sexual violence and rape on October 7th as cited by the UN, but said nothing about Israel also using sexual violence and rape (some reportedly against children) which has also been cited by the UN. I mean Hamas are scum, but they are not making Israel do that.

Hamas doesn't make Israeli snipers shoot toddlers twice

This may have happened as reported, we don’t know in the fog of war. But here’s the difference it’s not Israel’s policy and it was obviously a mistake. The atrocities of October 7th were condoned if not actually encouraged.

"This may have happened as reported, we don’t know in the fog of war. But here’s the difference it’s not Israel’s policy and it was obviously a mistake. The atrocities of October 7th were condoned if not actually encouraged."

Exactly and they were actually banking on Israel's reaction to 10'07exactly in they way they did, to score some sick sympathy from the rest of the world...it's an attitude problem...they don't want the war to stop...their actions deliberately created this war and now they complain...their will be no sollution unless they stop attacking Israel...they started the sh!t, they should end it, but there's no will...stupid circular nonsense.

This may have happened as reported, we don’t know in the fog of war. But here’s the difference it’s not Israel’s policy and it was obviously a mistake. The atrocities of October 7th were condoned if not actually encouraged.

May have happened?, this was reported by multiple American doctors who operated in Gaza. In a letter sent to the Biden administration a group of 45 US doctors and medics all of them described daily occurrences of pre teen Palestinian children being shot in both the head and chest. It's hard to think that highly trained Israeli marksmen could make the same mistake over and over.

Crazy that they would hide behind children and let them die.

Somebody should intervene on behalf of the Palestinians and get rid of Hamas.

They are causing all the necessary death in Gaza.

May have happened?, this was reported by multiple American doctors who operated in Gaza. In a letter sent to the Biden administration a group of 45 US doctors and medics all of them described daily occurrences of pre teen Palestinian children being shot in both the head and chest. It's hard to think that highly trained Israeli marksmen could make the same mistake over and over.

So you obviously believe these marksmen did it deliberately…that’s what I mean by may have happened. But you left out ‘as reported’…..I don’t believe it happened as reported, you obviously do. Which is so typical of you Woke types, so ready to believe the worst of others,

So you obviously believe these marksmen did it deliberately…that’s what I mean by may have happened. But you left out ‘as reported’…..I don’t believe it happened as reported, you obviously do. Which is so typical of you Woke types, so ready to believe the worst of others,

So your saying the medics were lying? Yes I do believe it giving the scale of reports of crimes committed by Israeli forces. I guess taking issue with war crimes is woke now.

No just the truth from unbiased and honest reporters.

Not the UN reports or TV news out of IRAN.

Both biased and unreliable sources.

So your saying the medics were lying? Yes I do believe it giving the scale of reports of crimes committed by Israeli forces. I guess taking issue with war crimes is woke now.

Were the medics there when the injuries happened? There are no proven war crimes….another thing you woke types don’t believe in….innocence until proven guilty.

Were the medics there when the injuries happened? There are no proven war crimes….another thing you woke types don’t believe in….innocence until proven guilty.

No proven war crimes...yeah bury your head in the ground, it's what you do best.

Even before 1982, some international legal scholars and human rights groups had begun to argue that:

1. Israel’s settlement activity in the West Bank and Gaza violated the Fourth Geneva Convention.
2. Actions in military operations, particularly house demolitions and collective punishment, could amount to war crimes.

…..

Forty three years later this is the state of play

‘No Israeli official has ever been convicted in an international court for war crimes.

However, multiple investigations by the UN, human rights organizations, and even Israeli domestic inquiries have found credible evidence of violations of international law, including what could constitute war crimes’

More allegations, but no convictions

…..

40 years of accusations and nothing that amounts to a conviction. Perhaps you should put your head in the sand, the ground’s a bit hard.

"There, there. Soon Hamas will deliver the hostages and stop storing weapons at our schools. Then we'll get some food."