Over 18,500 children killed by Israel in Gaza since October 2023: Health Ministry

The Israeli army has killed 18,592 Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, according to official data from Gaza's Health Ministry on Thursday.

The ministry's records showed that many of the victims were killed in their earliest days of life. Some died just hours after birth, struck by Israeli airstrikes or bombs.

Figures released by the ministry showed that the victims included nine babies killed on the day of their birth, five killed on the first day, five on the second day, and eight on their third day.

The ministry explained that the dead children also included 88 aged one month, 90 aged two months, and 78 aged three months.

The Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 60,200 Palestinians. The relentless bombardment has devastated the enclave and led to food shortages.

On Monday, Israeli rights groups B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, citing the systematic destruction of Palestinian society and the deliberate dismantling of the territory's healthcare system.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.