UN Report: 36 Israeli Strikes in Gaza Killed Only Women and Children as Palestinian Existence Threatened
The United Nations has documented that all recorded fatalities in 36 verified Israeli air strikes on Gaza between mid-March and early April were women and children, raising grave concerns about the impact of continued military operations on civilian populations. This finding comes amid warnings that Israel's actions, including evacuation orders covering nearly half the territory and a month-long blockade of humanitarian aid, are creating conditions "increasingly incompatible" with Palestinians' continued existence in Gaza.
UN Documents Pattern of Civilian Casualties and Forced Displacement
Between March 18 and April 9, 2025, the UN Human Rights Office verified 224 incidents of Israeli strikes on residential buildings and shelters housing internally displaced Palestinians. In 36 of these strikes, all documented fatalities were women and children, according to UN spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani France 241.
This period of intensified military action follows Israel's resumption of operations on March 18, which ended a fragile two-month ceasefire. Since then, according to Palestinian health officials, bombardments have killed at least 1,540 people in Gaza Common Dreams2.
"The cumulative impact of Israeli forces' conduct in Gaza" has created conditions that the UN warns are "increasingly incompatible with their continued existence as a group in Gaza," Shamdasani stated Al Jazeera3.
The Israeli military has issued successive evacuation orders across Gaza, displacing nearly 400,000 people according to UN estimates. These orders have covered approximately half of Gaza's territory since mid-March, forcing Palestinians into increasingly constricted areas New York Times4.
Global Reactions to Intensifying Humanitarian Crisis
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described Gaza as a "killing field" where civilians are trapped in an "endless death loop" of violence and deprivation. He emphasized that "more than an entire month has passed without a drop of aid into Gaza. No food. No fuel. No medicine. No commercial supplies" Al Jazeera3.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations responded to the UN findings by stating that "the intentional mass slaughter of women and children further exposes the genocidal intent of the far-right Israeli government" Common Dreams2.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz acknowledged the territorial expansion strategy, stating: "Large areas are being seized and added to Israel's security zones, leaving Gaza smaller and more isolated" France 241.
Despite these evacuation orders, some Palestinians have chosen to remain in their homes. "We don't want to leave," said Ahmad al-Masri, a 26-year-old resident of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza. "Where will we go? It's so very tiring" New York Times4.
Expert Analysis on International Humanitarian Law Violations
Humanitarian and legal experts view the combination of widespread evacuation orders, military operations targeting civilian infrastructure, and the complete blockade of aid as potentially constituting serious violations of international law.
The UN Human Rights Office has warned that "permanently displacing the civilian population within occupied territories amounts to forcible transfer, which is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and it is a crime against humanity" France 241.
Ravina Shamdasani emphasized that these restrictions go beyond targeting militant groups: "The permanently displacing the civilian population within occupied territories amounts to forcible transfer, which is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and it is a crime against humanity" Al Jazeera3.
The evidence of disproportionate civilian casualties in the documented strikes raises further questions about compliance with the laws of war. International humanitarian law requires military forces to distinguish between military and civilian targets and to ensure that attacks do not cause disproportionate harm to civilians.
Future Implications for Gaza's Population and Regional Stability
The expanding "security zones" and evacuation orders signal Israel's intention to establish long-term buffer areas within Gaza. According to Israel's defense minister, the military is actively seizing large areas and incorporating them into security zones, effectively reducing Gaza's habitable territory France 241.
For Gaza's 2.3 million residents, the humanitarian implications are severe. With hospitals barely functioning, essential supplies running out, and widespread displacement, the population faces immediate threats to survival. According to the UN, twenty-two out of 36 hospitals in Gaza are only "minimally functional" Reuters5.
The long-term demographic and humanitarian consequences could be profound. As Palestinians are confined to smaller areas with limited resources, humanitarian agencies warn of famine conditions and the collapse of essential services, potentially leading to mass casualties even without direct military action.
A Crisis With No Clear Resolution
As Israel continues its military operations in Gaza, the humanitarian situation deteriorates further with each passing day. The documented pattern of strikes resulting in exclusively women and children casualties, combined with evacuation orders and the blockade of humanitarian aid, raises fundamental questions about the protection of civilians in conflict zones and accountability under international law.
With global attention increasingly focused on these UN findings, the international community faces mounting pressure to address not only the immediate humanitarian needs in Gaza but also the underlying legal and ethical questions: Can the world allow conditions that threaten the very existence of a population, and what mechanisms exist to ensure accountability when international humanitarian law appears to be systematically violated?
