‘Almost unparalleled suffering’ in Gaza as UN says nearly 70% of those killed are women and children

Head of the Norwegian Refugee Council calls for peace process to begin as new figures reveal civilians have borne the brunt of the war

Nearly 70% of the people killed in the war in Gaza are women and children, according to a UN analysis of verified deaths that highlights the heavy civilian toll of the conflict.

In a new report, the most detailed analysis of its kind yet, the UN human rights office said it had verified 8,119 of those killed during the first six months of the war in Gaza. Of the fatalities, 3,588 were children and 2,036 were women. The youngest victim was a one-day-old boy and the oldest was a 97-year-old woman.