Ten children on average per day in Gaza are losing one or both of their legs in the war raging in the besieged territory, the head of the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees said Tuesday.

"Basically we have every day 10 children who are losing one leg or two legs on average," UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini told reporters in Geneva, citing figures from the UN children's agency UNICEF.

These numbers did not include children who lost hands or arms, he said.