According to Unicef, 2023 was the deadliest year for children in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem
At least 124 Palestinian children and six Israelis have been murdered in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem so far this year, an unprecedented number that makes 2023 the deadliest year for children as violence in these areas increases following the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Unicef denounced this Thursday. “This year has been the deadliest year for children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and conflict-related violence has reached unprecedented levels,” said a report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
“Conflict-related violence has killed 124 Palestinian children and 6 Israeli children since the beginning of 2023,” he says.
The organization assures that children in these areas live with “an almost constant feeling of fear and sadness” and many of them “are even afraid to go to school or play outside because of the threat of shootings and other related violence. “with the conflict.”
And “the intensity of this violence has increased dramatically” since war broke out between the Islamist group Hamas and Israel on October 7, Unicef says. At least 83 children have been murdered in the last three months, “more than twice as many.” Number of children murdered in all of 2022.”
“Serious violations against children, particularly killings and mutilations, are unacceptable. UNICEF calls on all parties to comply with their obligations under international human rights law and to protect children from conflict-related violence,” he stressed.
It is estimated that more than 8,000 Palestinian children have been left behind in the Gaza Strip due to Israeli army attacks since the war began.