Nearly 70% of those killed in Gaza are women and children, according to a report released by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva. The OHCHR, which has been verifying civilian fatalities in Gaza resulting from airstrikes, shelling, and other hostilities, highlighted that this high percentage of non-combatant casualties reflects systematic violations of core international humanitarian law principles, including discrimination and proportionality.
The OHCHR report, documenting deaths from November 2023 to April 2024, states that 8,119 individuals have died, with a disproportionate number of child victims under the age of 14. About 80% of fatalities occurred in residential buildings, with children accounting for 44% of those killed and women making up 26%. According to OHCHR, many of these deaths were due to the use of wide-area impact weapons in densely populated areas, though in some instances, Palestinian militant misfires may have also contributed to civilian casualties.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on UN member states to reconsider arms sales or military, logistical, or financial support to parties involved in the conflict where such support could lead to serious violations of international law. Türk emphasized that "violence must cease immediately, hostages and arbitrarily detained individuals must be released, and humanitarian aid must be prioritized for Gaza."
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on TASS materials