Ceasefire Without Civilian Safety

The deaths of more than 100 children in Gaza since an early October ceasefire underscore the narrow and fragile nature of the pause in hostilities, according to the United Nations children’s agency. While large-scale bombardment has slowed, UNICEF says lethal military activity has continued at levels sufficient to exact a heavy toll on civilians, particularly minors. The figures challenge the assumption that a ceasefire has translated into meaningful civilian protection on the ground.

UNICEF spokesperson James Elder reported on the killing of more than 100 children, a number which he claimed only reflected cases where sufficient information was available, indicating that the true number is likely higher. The announcement places renewed scrutiny on how ceasefires are defined, monitored, and enforced in densely populated conflict zones.

“Survival Remains Conditional”

Elder emphasized that reduced violence has not meant an end to life-threatening conditions for children. “Survival remains conditional, whilst the bombings and the shootings have slowed during the ceasefire, they have not stopped,” he told reporters.

According to UNICEF, at least 60 boys and 40 girls are included in the confirmed death toll, bringing the minimum total to over 100 children in roughly three months since early October.

Nearly all of the recorded deaths reportedly resulted from military actions according to Elder, listing air strikes, drone strikes, tank shelling, gunfire, and attacks involving quadcopters. A smaller number of children were killed by unexploded ordnance and other remnants of war that detonated after the ceasefire began. The diversity of causes is believed to point to a battlespace that remains active even in the absence of sustained ground offensives.

Limits of Monitoring and Attribution

UNICEF cautioned that its figures likely undercount the true scale of harm. Elder said the tally was based only on deaths where enough corroborating information could be verified, a standard constraint in active conflict zones. Gaza’s damaged communications infrastructure, ongoing insecurity, and restricted access for independent observers complicate systematic casualty recording.

The agency did not attribute responsibility for individual strikes but categorized the causes broadly as military attacks. This reflects standard U.N. practice in public briefings, where humanitarian agencies focus on civilian impact rather than legal attribution. The continued use of drones and quadcopters, however, is believed to suggest persistent surveillance and strike capabilities operating during the ceasefire period.

Humanitarian Crisis Still Persists

According to UNICEF, humanitarian needs in Gaza remain immense despite the ceasefire, as winter conditions and the dire state of displacement camps compound civilian suffering. Hundreds of thousands of children are living in overcrowded shelters and informal camps with no heating, limited access to clean water, poor sanitation, heightening risks of disease and hypothermia.

Damage to homes and infrastructure has left families exposed to cold and rain, while shortages of shelter materials, medical supplies, and fuel continue to constrain relief efforts. UNICEF has warned that without a sustained increase in humanitarian assistance and reliable access, children in Gaza face worsening health and protection risks through the winter months.