CLOSE to 70 per cent of those killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza over a six-month period were women and children, the United Nations said today.

In a new report, the UN Human Rights Office says the Israeli military use of weapons in densely populated areas of the enclave is the main reason for the high death toll.

The UN agency says it has found “unprecedented” levels of violations of international law and warns that “war crimes” may have been committed by the Israeli military.