The organization's child protection teams report that recent displacements caused by the offensive in Rafah have further strained families and communities caring for these children.

The chaotic conditions in Gaza make it nearly impossible to collect and verify information accurately. However, it is believed that at least 17,000 children are unaccompanied and separated, approximately 4,000 are missing under rubble, and an unknown number are buried in mass graves. Some children have been forcibly disappeared, with reports of detentions and forced transfers out of Gaza, their whereabouts unknown to their families amidst allegations of ill-treatment and torture.

Save the Children’s child protection teams are calling for urgent action to protect these vulnerable children, but their efforts are severely hindered by the deteriorating security situation. A Child Protection Specialist in Gaza stated:

"Every day we find more unaccompanied children and every day it is harder to support them. We work through partners to identify and trace their families, but there are no safe facilities for them in Gaza. Reuniting them with family members is difficult as ongoing hostilities restrict access to communities and force constant movement."

The latest attacks by Israeli forces in Rafah have resulted in mass casualties. UN experts reported people trapped inside burning plastic tents and bodies burned beyond recognition. The Gaza Ministry of Health reported over 14,000 children killed since October 7, with many bodies not fully identified due to severe damage. Children have also been found in mass graves, showing signs of torture, summary executions, and instances of being buried alive.

At least 33 Israeli children have been killed since October, and it remains unclear if any children are among those still held hostage in Gaza. Additionally, around 250 Palestinian children from the West Bank are missing in the Israeli military detention system, with families unable to confirm their whereabouts due to visit restrictions imposed since October.

The UN has received numerous reports of mass detentions, ill-treatment, and enforced disappearances involving possibly thousands of people, including children. Save the Children’s Regional Director for the Middle East, Jeremy Stoner, emphasized the dire situation:

“Families are tortured by the uncertainty of the whereabouts of their loved ones. No parent should have to dig through rubble or mass graves to try and find their child’s body. No child should be alone, unprotected in a war zone. No child should be detained or held hostage.

“Children who are missing but alive are vulnerable and face grave protection risks. They must be found, protected, and reunited with their families. For the children who have been killed, their deaths must be formally marked, their families informed, and burial rites respected. Gaza has become a graveyard for children, with thousands missing and their fates unknown. An independent investigation is necessary, and those responsible must be held accountable. We urgently need a ceasefire to find and support the surviving children and prevent further destruction of families.”

Save the Children has been providing essential services and support to Palestinian children since 1953, working with local partners in Gaza to identify and support unaccompanied children. Their efforts include individual child protection case management, cash assistance for caregivers, psychosocial support, and access to child-friendly spaces and nutrition and health services. (ILKHA)