Close to 70 percent of Gaza war fatalities children, women: UN Human Rights Office

Nearly 7 out of 10 deaths in Gaza amid the yearlong war in the region were women and children, the United Nations said in a sprawling report Friday that faulted Israel for a devastating attack on the coastal strip.

The U.N.'s Office of Human Rights examined the toll of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza from November 2023 to April 2024. The report found civilians bore the brunt of the conflict.

More than 44,000 people have died in Gaza to date, according to local health officials, but that number does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

The U.N. said in an analysis of the report that the nearly 70 percent of deaths being women and children indicate "a systematic violation of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, including distinction and proportionality."

U.N. Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk said there should be a "due reckoning" to the allegations of potential violations of international law against the Palestinian people in Gaza. He called on states to comply with laws and legal requests, including the International Criminal Court, which is seeking to obtain arrest warrants for top Israeli officials.

But the study also says Hamas committed grave violations of international law on Oct. 7, 2023, when militants invaded southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking another roughly 250 captive. Around 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza, where the war continues to rage. A cease-fire and hostage release deal backed by the U.S. and other Middle Eastern partners remains out of reach.

Türk said in a statement that the rules of war "were designed to limit and prevent human suffering in times of armed conflict."

"Their wanton disregard has led to the current extremes of human suffering which we continue to see today," he wrote. "It seems inconceivable that the parties to the conflict refuse to apply universally accepted and binding norms developed to preserve the very bare minimum of humanity.”

The report stopped short of accusing Israel of an outright war crime but said it could amount to one if the attacks are part of a systemic assault against the civilian population, while it may also amount to genocide if purposefully directed toward a race or ethnic group.

The Israeli attacks demonstrate an "apparent indifference to the death of civilians and the impact of the means and methods of warfare selected," according to the U.N. report.

The report identifies three categories of children most impacted by the war in Gaza: 5 to 9 years old, 10 to 14 years old, and babies to 4 years old.

About 80 percent of Gaza's fatalities are in residential areas, according to the organization, which said the high number of deaths is due to Israel's use of wide attacks in densely populated areas.

The U.N. report also faulted Hamas for using civilians as shields but said that in most cases it could not substantiate Israeli claims that Palestinian fighters were using hospitals and schools as cover.

The global nonprofit also raised concerns about a host of Israeli actions in Gaza, including using artificial intelligence for targeting, killing journalists and medical personnel, attacking cultural and religious sites, mass displacing the Palestinian people, using white phosphorous, creating communication blackouts and limiting humanitarian aid.

"Our monitoring indicates that this unprecedented level of killing, and injury of civilians is a direct consequence of the failure to comply with fundamental principles of international humanitarian law – namely the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack,” Türk said in his statement.

"Tragically, these documented patterns of violations continue unabated, over one year after the start of the war," he added.