MORE women and children have been killed by Israel in Gaza in the last 12 months than perished in the equivalent period of any other conflict over the past 20 years, damning new research published by Oxfam today shows. 

The charity highlights conservative figures that estimate 6,000 women and 11,000 children in Gaza have been killed by the Israeli military in the past year.

But the numbers exclude those among the 20,000 who are unidentified or missing.

No other conflict has caused such a high number of child or women fatalities within a 12-month period, over the past two decades.

Data from Small Arms Survey research recorded the killing of 2,600 women in Iraq in 2016 as the highest number of female deaths in a single year.

Every Casualty Counts found that 4,700 children were killed every 12 months within the 2.5 years of the Syrian conflict — the highest in 18 years, according to UN reports.

Israel has killed more than 40,000 people in Gaza since the Hamas attack of October 7.

A study published in medical journal The Lancet estimates the death toll could exceed 186,000, taking into account bodies buried under the rubble and indirect deaths from the destruction of infrastructure. 

According to data from Action on Armed Violence, Israel has hit civilian infrastructure in Gaza with explosive weapons once every three hours since last October.

Homes have been hit every four hours, and tents and temporary shelters every 17 hours.

Only 17 out of 36 hospitals remain partially functional, and 68 per cent of cropland and roads have been severely damaged. 

There have been only two days without bombardment outside of a six-day humanitarian pause 10 months ago.

Dr Umaiyeh Khammash, director of Juzoor, which is supporting more than 90 shelters and health points across Gaza, said: “Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers have faced immense difficulties, including from the collapse in healthcare services. 

“Over 25,000 children have either lost a parent or become orphans, leaving them in deep emotional distress.

“Most children are grappling with anxiety and severe physical injuries, with many having lost limbs.” 

Despite damning evidence of Israel’s war crimes, Britain continues to export arms to the country, suspending only 30 out of 350 licences after an internal review.

The government is continuing to allow the delivery of components for F-35 fighter jets, which have been used to drop 2,000lb bombs on innocent civilians. 

Stop the War convener Lindsey German said: "We’ve known from the outset of Israel’s year-long genocide in Gaza that the majority of those being slaughtered are women and children — we see this in real-time on our screens.

“To the Labour government’s shame it continues Tory policy by supporting this to the hilt with the continued supply of arms to Israel.”

Ms German said the national march for Palestine in London this weekend will send a clear message to the government that stopping all arms sales is the only way to put an end to the war crimes of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) director Ben Jamal said Oxfam’s findings “underline the depravity of a state which kills innocents on an unprecedented scale in recent history. 

“They also reconfirm the unconscionable complicity of our government who, in the face of such evidence and the reality of Israel being on trial for the crime of genocide, still ship it weapons, fail to vote against its actions at the UN and make empty calls for restraint as it launches attacks on neighbouring state after neighbouring state, adding to the civilian death toll and risking a full-scale Middle East war.”

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) general secretary Kate Hudson said: “Gaza has been systematically destroyed by Israeli air and ground assaults with refugee camps, schools, and hospitals regularly targeted. 

“These are all clear violations of international law and made possible with weapons supplied by the US, Britain, and Germany.

“We need to hold our government to account for the role it’s played.

“Israel must not be allowed to act with such gross impunity and disdain for human life.”