Israeli attacks killed four children aged two to 16 in separate strikes in Gaza and destroyed humanitarian aid supplies, according to the UN emergency relief agency OCHA and UNICEF. One of the children died from wounds sustained in the previous week.
Five additional children aged eight to 17 were reported hit by live fire or shrapnel following strikes and suffered life-changing injuries on Tuesday, UNICEF said. The attacks came despite the October 2025 ceasefire that ended the two-year Hamas-Israel war, though OCHA raised concerns about ongoing air strikes and other attacks across the territory.
A UN partner's warehouse was heavily damaged by a nearby strike last week, destroying more than $770,000 worth of UNICEF nutrition supplies intended to support more than 45,000 children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. A UNICEF-supported water well and desalination facility serving more than 4,000 people in Deir al Balah was severely damaged by a nearby strike on Monday, with partners now providing water from other sources by truck.
OCHA reported that an explosive munition detonated about 30 metres from a UN convoy returning with fuel from the Kerem Shalom crossing as it crossed the so-called "Yellow Line" in Rafah on Thursday. The agency said there were no casualties, though the explosion caused a minor mechanical issue involving one of the vehicles.
The UN and its partners are assessing and marking explosive hazards across Gaza, educating people on safety measures and referring those affected for support, OCHA said. However, the authorisation needed to bring in equipment and remove explosive ordnance has not been granted.
The World Health Organization supported the evacuation of 106 patients, including 19 children, along with 132 companions from Gaza through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings over the last week, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday. Since October 2023, over 13,000 patients and more than 16,000 companions have been evacuated, though thousands are still awaiting medical evacuations, he said.
