Over 400 Palestinian women, children killed in Gaza conflict

Voicing concern over the worsening situation in the Gaza Strip due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, the UN has said that over 400 Palestinian children and women have been killed so far in the conflict.

Painting a dismal picture of Gaza under attack from Israel, senior UN officials gave grim statistics that 40 per cent of about 900 Palestinians killed and 3,820 wounded were
women and children.

The officials "horrified and appalled" by the figures, expressed concern that neither Hamas nor Israelis are honouring the binding Security Council resolution called for
immediate ceasefire.

"Behind those statistics that we read out every day is really profound human suffering and grave tragedy for all involved and not just for those who are killed and injured but
for their families as well," UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) director of Operations John Ging told a news conference in New York.

Speaking by video link from Gaza after he had just visited the main Al Shifa hospital he said, "(It) is the place of course where you see the most horrific human consequences
of this conflict. Among the tragic cases that I saw were a child, six years of age, little or no brain activity, people don't have much hope for her survival; multiple amputee –
another little girl; and a pregnant woman who'd lost a leg."

The Israeli offensive went into its 17th day with the stated aim of ending Hamas rocket attacks into Israel. 

"The hospital is really full of patients whose lives have been in many instances really destroyed, and they're alive."