Gaza – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that children in Gaza continue to die at an alarming rate, even after the implementation of a ceasefire. According to UNICEF, an average of two children are killed each day in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking to reporters in Geneva, UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires stated that at least 67 children have been killed by Israeli military fire since the ceasefire went into effect on October 10th. He further added that dozens more children have been injured during the same period.
Despite the agreed-upon ceasefire, reports indicate ongoing violations. Health officials in Gaza report that Israeli forces continue to cause casualties, with 312 Palestinians killed and approximately 760 injured since the ceasefire began.
The Government Media Office in Gaza issued a statement marking Universal Children’s Day, revealing that over 20,000 children have been killed during the ongoing conflict in the region. The statement further highlighted that 1,015 of those killed were under one year old, and over 450 infants were born and died during the conflict. The situation is described as a humanitarian catastrophe, with allegations of systematic targeting of Palestinian children, leaving Gaza a devastated area where over a million children face death, starvation, disease, and forced displacement.
Data suggests that over 650,000 children are at risk of starvation, and thousands require urgent medical evacuation. Tens of thousands of orphans are reportedly living in dire conditions amidst widespread destruction and violations of international law and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Since the start of the conflict, the number of reported deaths has reached 69,546, the majority of whom are women and children, with 170,833 reported injuries.
