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Nearly 70% of Gaza war dead are women and children, UN says

2024-11-09 00:00:05
About 44% of verified victims were children and 26% women, the UN said

The UN's Human Rights Office has condemned the high number of civilians killed in the war in Gaza, saying its analysis shows close to 70% of verified victims over a six-month period were women and children.

The agency said the high number was largely due to Israel's use of weapons with wide-area effects in densely populated areas, although some deaths may have been the result of errant projectiles by Palestinian armed groups.

The report said it found "unprecedented" levels of international law violations, raising concerns about "war crimes and other possible atrocity crimes".

Israel has in the past said it targets Hamas and takes steps to mitigate risk to civilians by using precise munitions.

The UN said the high number of women and child casualties was largely due to Israel's use of weapons with wide-area effects in densely populated areas