The Guardian on Wednesday published a special report featuring the names and photographs of 18,457 Palestinian children killed during Israel’s war in Gaza—a figure that continues to rise amid ongoing bombardment. The report, based on Gaza’s Ministry of Health data, humanizes statistics by giving each child an identity, reflecting losses spanning nearly two years, with a child killed roughly every hour since the conflict began.

Children account for nearly one-third of all identified deaths, many dying alongside siblings and friends. The list includes only verified hospital-processed cases, excluding those still buried under rubble or dying indirectly from starvation and disease. Aid agencies warn that the blockade has turned essential needs into scarce resources, with at least 150 children starving to death and countless others succumbing to preventable illnesses. Over 40,000 children have been injured, and Gaza now has the world’s highest number of child amputees.

Rights groups and genocide scholars assert that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide, citing mass killings and attacks on essential civilian infrastructure. The scale of casualties dwarfs previous conflicts: Israel’s 2008 operation killed 345 children in 22 days, and the 2014 offensive claimed 548 in 50 days—far fewer than in the current war. Research by the Peace Research Institute Oslo classifies Gaza as an area of “extreme conflict intensity,” with one in every 50 children killed, making it one of the deadliest regions for children in modern times.