13,430 children killed in Gaza since Oct. 7: Media office

By Halime Afra Aksoy and Ali Semerci

ISTANBUL (AA) - A total of 13,430 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip by Israeli airstrikes and ground operations since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, the Media Office in Gaza said Monday.

It noted that 8,900 women were killed over the course of 150 days, adding that 7,000 people, 70% of whom are women and children, are still under the rubble or missing.

The media office said that 364 health personnel and 132 journalists also lost their lives during the period.

Warning against a growing famine in Gaza, the office said Israel has prevented the entry of food and aid supplies and has even targeted aid vehicles trying to reach the region, causing the deaths of dozens of people looking for food for their families.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed 30,534 people and injured 71,920 others with mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.