“Ma’ata”: Over 3,000 children missing in Gaza, most under rubble

The Palestine Information Center (Ma’ata) said on Monday that more than 3,000 Palestinian children remain missing in the Gaza Strip, most of them trapped under the rubble since the start of the war on Gaza over two and a half years ago.

In a statement marking the International Day of Missing Children, the center said 2,700 children are believed to be under collapsed buildings and cannot be recovered, while contact has been lost with 200 others amid fears of enforced disappearance or targeting.

It added that 140 children are officially listed as missing or forcibly disappeared since the beginning of the war, noting many went missing while seeking aid or checking destroyed homes.

The statement also said the conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths and injuries, with many victims still under rubble despite a ceasefire that began on 10 October last year, alongside ongoing violations.