April 12, 2025 – The United Nations has raised alarms over the escalating violence in Gaza, reporting that recent Israeli military strikes have resulted in significant civilian casualties, with women and children disproportionately affected.
According to a UN Human Rights Office analysis, at least 36 Israeli attacks between March 18 and April 9, 2025, resulted in the deaths of only Palestinian women and children, highlighting the severe humanitarian toll of the ongoing conflict.
The Israeli military has stated that its operations target Hamas, the Palestinian militant group governing Gaza, accusing it of using civilian areas as cover. However, the UN’s findings have drawn international concern, with officials describing the situation as dire. The International Committee of the Red Cross president has called conditions in Gaza “hell on Earth,” underscoring the widespread suffering caused by the conflict.
On April 6, 2025, Palestinian health officials reported that Israeli strikes killed at least 32 people, including over a dozen women and children, in a single day. Among the incidents, a strike in Khan Younis killed journalist Islam Meqdad, her son, and five other family members, while another in Gaza City hit a bakery, killing six, including three children.
These strikes followed Israel’s decision to end a ceasefire with Hamas in March 2025, resuming air and ground operations to pressure the group into releasing hostages.
The broader conflict, reignited after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, has led to devastating losses. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports over 50,695 Palestinians killed since the war began, with more than half identified as women and children. Israel’s offensive aims to dismantle Hamas, which still holds 59 hostages, 24 believed to be alive.
International reactions have been sharp. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the civilian deaths, calling them “barbarism,” while Amnesty International labeled the strikes a “dark day for humanity,” citing 414 deaths, including 174 children, in a single night of attacks on March 18, 2025.
The UN and aid groups have called for an immediate ceasefire, warning that Gaza’s healthcare system is collapsing, with hospitals like Al-Ahli and Indonesian struggling to treat the wounded due to shortages of supplies and fuel.
Israel maintains that Hamas’s refusal to release hostages and its alleged violation of the ceasefire prompted the renewed offensive. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump this week, emphasized the need to continue military pressure. The U.S. has attributed blame to Hamas, with acting UN Ambassador Dorothy Shea stating that the group’s actions triggered the resumption of hostilities.
As Gaza faces a total blockade on aid, food, and fuel, UN agencies report a worsening humanitarian crisis, with over 90% of the population displaced and 80% of buildings damaged. Save the Children has called the situation a “death sentence” for Gaza’s children, noting 74 child deaths in the first week of 2025 alone.
The international community continues to urge both sides to return to negotiations to halt the violence and address the deepening crisis in Gaza.
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