The UN Human Rights Office has condemned the high number of civilian casualties in the Gaza war, saying its analysis shows that almost 70% of verified casualties over a six-month period were women and children.

The agency said the high number was largely due to Israel’s use of weapons with widespread impact in densely populated areas, although some deaths may have resulted from errant projectiles from Palestinian armed groups.

The report said “unprecedented” levels of violations of international law were found, raising concerns about “war crimes and other possible atrocities.”

Israel has said in the past that it is targeting Hamas and taking steps to limit risks to civilians by using precision munitions.

The BBC has contacted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment following Friday’s report.

The UN agency said it has verified details of 8,119 people killed in Gaza between November 2023 and April 2024.

The analysis found that approximately 44% of the verified victims were children and 26% were women. The ages most represented among the dead were five to nine year olds.

About 80% of the victims were killed in residential buildings or similar dwellings, the agency added.

According to the report, the data indicates “an apparent indifference to the death of civilians and the impact of the means and methods of warfare.”

The Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza, whose figures are consulted by the UN as reliablehas reported a death toll of more than 43,300 people in the past 13 months. It is believed that many more bodies lie under the rubble of bombed buildings.

The Ministry of Health said it has obtained full demographic data on the majority of the deaths and reported that children make up one in three of that number.

UN human rights chief Volker Türk said in a statement that “this unprecedented number of killings and injuries among civilians is a direct consequence of the failure to uphold the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.”

He cited the laws of distinction, which require warring parties to distinguish between combatants and civilians, proportionality, which prohibits attacks where harm to civilians outweighs the military advantage, and precautions in attacks.

Türk called for a “fair reckoning regarding the allegations of serious violations of international law.”

The IDF has previously told the BBC in response to criticism that it “will continue to act, as it has always done, in accordance with international law.”

The report also states that the way the warring parties have conducted the conflict in Gaza has “caused horrific human suffering.”

The UN said Palestinian armed groups have waged war from densely populated areas and indiscriminately used projectiles, likely contributing to the death toll, while the IDF has destroyed civilian infrastructure and “left many of them alive, injured, displaced and starving , without access to sufficient water, food or health care”.

The situation is worst in northern Gaza, which aid groups say has been under siege since early October, when Israel launched a new ground offensive against Hamas.

According to the UN, no food aid entered the north in the first two weeks of October.

This prompted the US to issue an ultimatum to Israel to increase aid by November 12 or risk losing some military support.

Jan Egeland, the head of aid group Norwegian Refugee Council, told the BBC on Friday that he saw “devastation, desperation, unbelievable” during a recent visit to Gaza.

“There is hardly a building that is not damaged. And large areas looked like Stalingrad after World War II. You cannot fathom the intensity of this indiscriminate bombing of this captive population,” he said.

“It is clear that it is primarily children and women who are paying a price for this senseless war,” he added.

Israel launched its current military offensive in Gaza after Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people in Israel and brought 251 hostages back to Gaza.