UN verifies 1,076 Palestinian deaths in Gaza since ceasefire, warns of possible war crimes

The United Nations Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has verified the deaths of 1,076 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip between October 2025 and the end of July 2026, warning that continued Israeli attacks during the ceasefire period raise serious concerns about possible war crimes.

In a report released on Monday, the office said Palestinian medical sources had recorded more than 1,400 deaths since the ceasefire was announced on 10th October 2025.

Of the 1,076 deaths verified by the UN office, 268 were children and 126 were women, together accounting for approximately 37 percent of the total.

The report also noted that more than 20,000 children have been killed in Gaza since 7th October 2023. It indicated that the proportion of civilian deaths may be higher than the available figures suggest, as the breakdown does not account for civilian men among those killed.

Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, described the continuation of violations during a period intended to be a ceasefire as appalling.

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He warned that Palestinians were facing attacks within increasingly restricted areas, amid the continued deployment of Israeli forces and difficulties accessing essential supplies and services.

According to the report, Israeli forces controlled approximately 53 percent of Gaza’s territory when the ceasefire was announced, with plans to expand their deployment to approximately 70 percent.

UN monitoring also found that the boundaries of the so-called Yellow Line, marking areas of Israeli military deployment, were neither fixed nor clearly defined. The report documented continued Israeli military incursions and advances into residential areas.

Between October 2025 and July 2026, the office verified the deaths of 331 Palestinians near the Yellow Line, including 66 children and 27 women.

The UN office stressed that deliberately targeting civilians who are not directly participating in hostilities may constitute a war crime, regardless of their location.

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