In a report released ahead of Palestinian Children’s Day, observed annually on April 5, the Bureau also warned that famine and malnutrition are threatening the lives of children in Gaza, with an estimated 60,000 expected cases of severe acute malnutrition.

The report also highlighted that Israeli forces have arrested over 1,055 children since the war began—representing a systematic violation of children’s rights and a clear breach of international law.

As of the end of 2024, children under the age of 18 make up 43% of Palestine’s population of 5.5 million, with around 2.38 million children—1.39 million in the West Bank and 980,000 in Gaza.

Children under 15 years old account for 37% of the population—about 2.03 million, including 1.18 million in the West Bank and 900,000 in Gaza.

In Gaza, children under 18 make up about 47% of the population, compared to 41% in the West Bank. Those under 15 comprise 40.3% in Gaza and 34.8% in the West Bank.

The report emphasized that children have borne the brunt of 534 days of war (October 7, 2023 – March 23, 2025), facing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, with women and children making up more than 60% of total casualties.

The war has resulted in the deaths of 50,021 Palestinians, including 17,954 children. Among them were: 274 infants born and killed during the bombardment, 876 children under one year old, 17 children who died from cold in displacement camps and 52 children who died from starvation or malnutrition.

Another 113,274 people have been injured, 69% of whom are women and children. Over 11,200 people remain missing, 70% of them women and children.

In the West Bank, 923 people were killed, including 188 children, and 660 children have been injured since the beginning of the conflict.

According to Palestinian prisoner rights organizations, 2024 saw an unprecedented rise in child arrests, with at least 700 children detained that year alone, bringing the total to over 1,055 since the war began. As of early March 2025, more than 350 Palestinian children remain in Israeli custody.

Under the January 2025 ceasefire agreement, 51 children from the West Bank, Jerusalem, and areas inside Israel were released, along with 44 children from Gaza who were detained after October 7.

Estimates show that 39,384 children in Gaza lost one or both parents during 534 days of war, including around 17,000 children who lost both—left alone to face life without protection or care.

The PCBS, citing a United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) report, highlighted the dire situation for children with disabilities in Gaza, noting that 15 children per day are suffering permanent disabilities due to the use of internationally banned explosive weapons.

A total of 7,065 children have been injured, including hundreds who lost limbs, vision, or hearing. There were 4,700 amputations, 18% of which—846 cases—were among children, worsening the humanitarian crisis.

These children now face a double catastrophe: physical and psychological trauma, compounded by a collapsed healthcare system, the destruction of hospitals, and the blockade on medical supplies and prosthetics. Widespread malnutrition has also worsened bone deformities and hindered wound healing.

Additionally, around 7,700 newborns are at risk of death due to severe shortages in neonatal care. With limited access to incubators, ventilators, and essential medications, the lives of these infants hang in the balance.

In July 2024, polio re-emerged in Gaza for the first time in 25 years due to plummeting vaccination rates—from 99% to 86%—amid the deteriorating health situation.

According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report covering November 2024 to April 2025, about 1.95 million people in Gaza are experiencing crisis-level or worse food insecurity (IPC Phase 3+). Of them, approximately 345,000 people are expected to face catastrophic levels of hunger (IPC Phase 5).

Between September 2024 and August 2025, around 60,000 children aged 6–59 months are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition, meaning they lack the essential nutrients for healthy growth and development. This includes 12,000 cases of the most severe form, which can lead to organ failure or death if not treated.

In addition, 16,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women are projected to need treatment for acute malnutrition, putting both maternal and child health at serious risk.

The PCBS reported that education in Gaza has become a major casualty of the war. Israeli attacks completely destroyed 111 public schools and severely damaged 241 others. An additional 89 UNRWA schools were also bombed or vandalized.

As a result, 700,000 students have been deprived of their right to education in the 2024/2025 academic year, and about 39,000 high school students were unable to sit for their final exams in 2023/2024.

The destruction went beyond infrastructure—12,441 students and 519 teachers were killed, while 19,819 students and 2,703 teachers were injured. There is still no clear data on how many students and educators were arrested during Israeli operations in Gaza.

The war disrupted regular schooling for two consecutive academic years, halting classes for 300 school days as of January 28, 2025. Despite efforts by the Ministry of Education to implement alternative methods like online learning and temporary schools, challenges such as the lack of safe spaces, electricity, internet access, and devices have made effective learning nearly impossible.

In the West Bank, the situation has also worsened. 90 students were killed, 555 injured, 301 arrested, and 163 education staff detained—part of what many view as a systematic effort to weaken the educational system.

A recent report by the Education Cluster noted a steep decline in access to education for hundreds of thousands of children in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, in 2024. This is due to a mix of factors: Israeli movement restrictions, home demolitions, settler violence, and intense military activity.

The report found that over half the students in the hardest-hit areas face harassment or delays on their way to school, denying about 806,000 students safe access to education.

Since the large-scale Israeli operation in northern West Bank began on January 21, 2025, around 100 schools have been forced to suspend classes.