Gaza:Gaza Strip The UN Human Rights Office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory has documented the deaths of 1,076 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip between the ceasefire announcement in October 2025 and the end of July 2026. The report raises concerns about potential violations of international law, including war crimes, due to Israeli occupation attacks near and far from the so-called Yellow Line.
According to Qatar News Agency, the report, released to mark one year since the ceasefire on October 10, 2025, indicated that more than 1,400 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip during this period, as reported by the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The UN verified 1,076 of these deaths, which included 268 children, 126 women, and 682 men. Women and children comprised 37 percent of the verified fatalities.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health also reported that over 20,000 children had been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023. Since the ceasefire, 74 children and 30 women have been verified dead. The report suggests that the actual civilian death toll is likely higher, as not all civilian men were included. Concerns about civilian targeting, which may constitute a war crime, were emphasized.
Ajith Sunghay, Head of the UN Human Rights Office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, described the ongoing violations as appalling, particularly during a ceasefire period. He noted that Palestinians are confined to shrinking areas, facing attacks and struggling to meet basic needs due to the Israeli occupation.
At the time of the ceasefire, Israeli forces controlled approximately 53 percent of Gaza, seeking to expand to 70 percent. The lack of a fixed Yellow Line has led to shifting boundaries and advances into Palestinian residential zones. Most verified deaths occurred away from areas with Israeli forces, but actions near the Yellow Line suggested these areas were treated as zones of arbitrary lethal force.
The report confirmed 331 deaths near the Yellow Line, including 66 children, 27 women, and 238 men. It stressed that killing civilians not directly involved in hostilities is a war crime, regardless of their location.
Sunghay urged other nations to pressure Israel to cease international law violations, stop arms supplies facilitating these actions, and support accountability mechanisms. He emphasized the importance of accountability to prevent future violations and called for timely action.