Geneva: On Friday, the U.N. Human Rights Office reported that nearly 70% of the fatalities it has verified in the ongoing Gaza conflict were women and children, condemning what it called a "systematic violation" of international humanitarian law principles. The U.N.'s tally of 8,119 verified victims, gathered from three independent sources, is much lower than the more than 43,000 deaths reported by Palestinian health authorities. However, the U.N.'s breakdown, which highlights the disproportionate number of women and children among the casualties, supports the Palestinian claim that civilians, particularly the young, are bearing the brunt of the violence.

The U.N. statement emphasized that these findings pointed to violations of key humanitarian principles, including the principles of distinction and proportionality. "It is essential that serious violations of international law be addressed by credible, impartial judicial bodies," said Volker Turk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, stressing the importance of gathering and preserving evidence during this ongoing crisis.

Israel's diplomatic mission in Geneva rejected the U.N. report, accusing the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) of misrepresenting the situation on the ground and ignoring the role of Hamas in deliberately placing civilians at risk. Israel maintains that Hamas fighters are using civilians as human shields, thus being responsible for their deaths. The Israeli military also insists that its actions are in compliance with international law and that it takes steps to minimize civilian harm during its operations, which were initiated in response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

According to U.N. officials, the fatalities they have verified include victims ranging from a one-day-old child to a 97-year-old woman, with 44% of the casualties being minors. The report also noted that in the majority of incidents (88%), five or more people were killed in a single attack, which the U.N. attributed to the use of weapons with wide-area effects, most likely by Israeli forces, although some deaths may have resulted from misfires by Palestinian armed groups.

The U.N. Human Rights Office also highlighted the significant proportion of young victims, particularly children aged 5 to 9, and said this reflected the demographics of Gaza’s population, suggesting a failure to take necessary precautions to avoid civilian casualties.