70% of deaths in Gaza are women and children

A report from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has confirmed the accuracy of 8,119 deaths in the Gaza Strip. Of these, 80% are linked to attacks targeting residential buildings or housing areas.

Women and children represent “nearly 70%” of deaths in the Gaza Strip over the period November 2023 to April 2024, estimates the UN after a careful verification of a partial count of victims of the Israel’s war against Hamas.

“We believe this is representative of the distribution of the total number of deaths. A proportion similar to that given by the Gaza authorities,” told AFP Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the High Commission.

According to the Office of the High Commissioner, the proportion of women and children indicates, “a systematic violation of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, in particular distinction and proportionality”. Of the 8,119 verified deaths (out of 34,500), 3,588 were children and 2,036 were women, the report said.

“This unprecedented level of civilian deaths and injuries is a direct consequence of the failure to respect the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law,” accused the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, in a press release. “Tragically, these documented violations continue unabated, more than a year after the start of the war”he added.

Israel says it targets Hamas fighters in every bombardment, including when it hits refugee camps or health facilities. However, the report released Friday highlights that the majority of verified deaths reflect the general demographic makeup of Gaza, much more than that of the fighters.