The BBC World Service has investigated the deaths of two young girls, Layan al-Majdalawi and Mira Tanboura, who were killed in Gaza in November 2023 during military operations. Their stories are part of a wider pattern, with over 160 reported cases of children being shot in the conflict. In 95 of these cases, children were shot in the head or chest, and eyewitness accounts suggest the majority were shot by the Israel Defense Forces. The Israeli military has stated that intentional harm to civilians, especially children, is strictly prohibited and that these cases will be examined. The International Committee of the Red Cross has expressed concern over the normalization of such violence against children in warfare.