Four children killed as separate attacks in Gaza destroy aid supplies

Israeli attacks killed four children and destroyed humanitarian aid supplies in what turned out to be a deadly week in war-ravaged Gaza, the UN emergency relief agency, OCHA, said.

Key points

• UN agencies concerned about deadly attacks in civilian areas
• Israeli strikes destroyed over $770,000 in nutrition supplies and damaged critical water infrastructure serving thousands, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported
• The World Health Organization (WHO) evacuated 106 patients and 132 companions from Gaza in the past week, but thousands more await medical evacuation

According to UNICEF, the four children – aged two to 16 – were reportedly killed in separate strikes, including one who died of wounds sustained last week.

On Tuesday, five children – aged eight to 17 – were reported hit by live fire or shrapnel following strikes and suffered life-changing injuries.

OCHA raised concerns about the impact of ongoing air strikes and other attacks across the Gaza Strip amid reports of civilian casualties and damage, despite the October 2025 ceasefire that ended the two-year-long Hamas-Israel war.

Aid supplies destroyed

The recent attacks also destroyed humanitarian supplies and damaging critical water infrastructure, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.

A UN partner’s warehouse was heavily damaged by a nearby strike last week. UNICEF says the incident destroyed more than $770,000 worth of its nutrition supplies, which were intended to support more than 45,000 children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

In addition, 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. Partners are now providing water from other sources by truck.

UN convoy

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, OCHA reported.

Fortunately, there were no casualties, with the explosion causing a minor mechanical issue involving one of the vehicles in the convoy, the agency said.

Civilians and civilian objects, including humanitarian facilities and infrastructure, must always be protected, OCHA said.

Tackling unexploded ordnance

The UN and its partners are working across Gaza to address the risks posed by explosive ordnance.

They are assessing and marking hazards, 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 still has not been granted.

Medical evacuations

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) supported the evacuation of 106 patients, including 19 children, along with 132 companions from the Gaza Strip through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings over the last week, the agency chief said on Friday.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that since October 2023, over 13,000 patients and more than 16,000 companions have been evacuated.

Still, thousands are awaiting medical evacuations, he said, adding that to ensure timely treatment for patients, medical evacuations require sustained access through multiple crossing routes.