ISTANBUL

Around 70 children were killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip in the last five days, the civil defense service said on Sunday.

The agency did not provide details on the age of the victims, only saying that they lost their lives in attacks targeting several areas across the Palestinian enclave.

Palestinian children in Gaza continue to bear a heavy toll from Israel’s genocidal war, now in its 16th month, on the territory.

“The new year has brought more death and suffering from attacks, deprivation, and increasing exposure to the cold,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said on Jan. 8.

More than 46,500 people have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 109,600 others injured in relentless Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi