Israel killed at least 174 children in its ceasefire-shattering assault on Gaza on Tuesday, making it one of the deadliest 24 hours for children in Gaza’s history, Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCIP) has said.

The death toll is expected to rise even further, the group noted, with many people missing under the rubble following Israel’s renewed carpet bombing in Gaza.

Over 400 Palestinians in total were killed in Tuesday’s assault, with over 500 wounded, according to health officials. The attack was a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement, at a time when Israel is also worsening the humanitarian catastrophe it has created in the region.

“Today marks one of the largest one-day child death tolls in Gaza in history,” said Ayed Abu Eqtaish, DCIP’s accountability program director.

“Israeli forces have signed a death warrant for Palestinian children in Gaza as they carry out nonstop attacks, continue to destroy civilian infrastructure, and prevent any humanitarian aid from reaching Palestinians in need,” Eqtaish went on. “This is nothing short of genocide.”

Israel’s bombardment on Tuesday, which came amid the holy month of Ramadan, was horrific. Palestinians described being woken up by earth-shaking blasts all around them, with the Israeli military once again raining down bombs across the Strip without regard for civilian life.

The ceasefire had brought some temporary relief to Palestinians — though Israel renewed its total blockade on humanitarian aid in recent weeks and soldiers continued to target and kill people across the region, Palestinians were hopeful that the period of relative peace would last. But that feeling has been shattered, many Palestinians report.

The head of Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, Ramy Abdu, said that his sister’s entire family, including her three children, were among those killed in Israel’s assault on Tuesday.

“Israel may kill us at will, burn us alive, and tear us apart, but it will never succeed in uprooting us from our land. Justice and accountability await — no matter how long it takes,” Abdu said on social media, sharing a picture of his niece and nephew, Omar and Lian. In the photo, the young children are sitting next to each other, smiling at the camera.

A Palestinian doctor, obstetrics-gynecology specialist Majda Abu Aker, was also killed along with her family in their home in southern Gaza, per Al Jazeera. The strike killed over a dozen people, including 10 people in the same family. The casualties included a three-day-old girl.

Israeli forces have killed over 18,000 Palestinian children in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to health officials. However, the true toll is likely far higher, as DCIP pointed out, “as children continue to suffer from serious communicable and preventable conditions like hypothermia, malnutrition, dehydration, and scabies.”

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