OCHA: Bombardment of Gaza causes high numbers of civilian casualties

10 April 2025

OCHA warns that hostilities across the Gaza Strip are taking a horrifying toll on civilians – depriving people of safety and the means for their survival. There have been daily reports of Israeli strikes killing and injuring many Palestinian civilians.

Since the intensification of hostilities in Gaza less than a month ago, more than 1,500 people have reportedly been killed, many of them women and children, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

Just yesterday in Gaza city, there were reports of dozens of people killed – including at least eight children – after an Israeli strike hit a residential building. Many are still missing under the rubble.

OCHA stresses that civilians must be protected under international law and should never be a target.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been able to support some medical evacuations from Gaza. Yesterday, 18 patients and nearly 30 companions were allowed to exit to seek specialized treatment abroad. However, with some 12,500 patients in Gaza still in need of medical evacuation outside the Strip, WHO calls for them to be able to do so through all available border crossings and corridors.

The ongoing hostilities and continued blocking of cargo entry into Gaza for almost six weeks now are hampering people’s access to life-saving aid.

As supplies inside the Strip near exhaustion and the situation becomes increasingly dire, there has been an increase in looting over the past few days. Earlier this week, several such incidents were reported in Rafah, Deir al Balah and Al Zawaida.

Once again, OCHA reiterates the urgency of reopening the crossings to allow critical supplies to enter.

More than 60,000 children are reportedly suffering from malnutrition, at a time when community kitchens are rapidly running out of fuel and supplies.

Across Gaza, partners are also warning of acute water shortages in shelters hosting displaced people. The loss of water – together with the lack of cleaning supplies and cohabitation with livestock – are having a dire public health impact. In March, more than one third of households in Gaza experienced lice infestations.

Meanwhile, humanitarian partners have identified more than a dozen unaccompanied and separated children this week. They are doing everything possible to reunite these children with their families.