Middle East: Civilian death toll climbs in Gaza, Lebanon and West Bank as UN chief demands ‘the fighting must stop’

Violence and civilian casualties are rising across the Middle East – from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza to continued hostilities in Lebanon and the West Bank – UN agencies reported on Friday as the Secretary-General declared “the fighting must stop”.What you need to knowIsraeli hostilities and demolitions continued in southern Lebanon, where at least 4,329 deaths and 12,233 injuries were recorded since 2 March, with 349 fatalities and 229 injuries since the latest ceasefire announcement, the UN relief agency, OCHA, reportedOver the past five months, more than 4,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured across six countries, including 2,500 in Iran as US bombing continues, with 386 killed and 2,117 injured, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)Hamas and US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace reached agreement on disarmament and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as part of plans following the Hamas-Israel October 2025 ceasefire, UN chief António Guterres noted on FridayIn Gaza, Israel has killed 1,180 Palestinians and injured 3,810 others between the October 2025 ceasefire and 22 July 2026, and this week, continued airstrikes and gunfire, restricted aid entry and ma...