New York, October 12 (QNA) - The UN Human Rights Office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory documented the deaths of 1,076 Palestinians in Gaza Strip between the announcement of the ceasefire in October 2025 and the end of July 2026, warning that Israeli occupation attacks, both near and far from the so-called Yellow Line, raise serious concerns about violations of international law, including war crimes.

In a report released on Monday to mark one year since the ceasefire was announced on October 10, 2025, the Office said that, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 1,400 Palestinians had been killed in the Strip since the ceasefire took effect. The Office verified 1,076 deaths, including 268 children, 126 women and 682 men. Women and children accounted for 37 percent of the verified fatalities.

The Office added that, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 20,000 children had been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023. Since the ceasefire announcement last October, the Office verified the deaths of 74 children and 30 women.

The report said the overall proportion of civilian fatalities was likely much higher, as the figures did not include all civilian men killed in the Strip. It warned that this pattern raised serious concerns about the targeting of civilians, which constitutes a war crime.

The report quoted Head of the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) for the Occupied Palestinian Territory Ajith Sunghay, as saying that the continuation of such violations was appalling, particularly during a period intended to be a ceasefire. Palestinians are facing attacks in an ever-shrinking area, hemmed in by Israeli occupation forces and struggling to access most basic necessities of life, he said.

The report noted that, when the ceasefire was announced, the Israeli occupation army-controlled areas covering approximately 53 percent of the Strip and was seeking to expand its deployment to 70 percent of Gaza’s territory.

Monitoring also revealed that there was no fixed or clearly defined Yellow Line, with occupation forces continuing to advance along shifting lines and repeatedly entering Palestinian residential areas.

Although most of the deaths verified by the Office occurred in attacks reported far from areas where occupation forces were deployed, the conduct of these forces near the Yellow Line raised concerns that they were treating these areas as kill zones where lethal force was used arbitrarily.

The report said the Office had verified the deaths of 331 Palestinians near the Yellow Line between October 2025 and July 2026, including 66 children, 27 women and 238 men.

The Office stressed that killing civilians who are not directly participating in hostilities constitutes a war crime, regardless of their location or proximity to areas where occupation forces are deployed.

Sunghay reiterated his call for other states to use their influence to compel Israel to halt violations of international law in Gaza, stop supplying arms and ammunition that facilitate serious violations, and support international accountability mechanisms. He stressed that accountability is essential to deter future violations and prevent their recurrence, and cannot be delayed. (QNA)