Alarm in the West Bank: UNICEF Reports Surge in Child Casualties

Tuesday 23 July 2024 - 13:44

UNICEF: One Palestinian Child Killed Every Two Days in the West Bank Since October 7

In a stark revelation, a recent UNICEF report has highlighted a grave increase in violence against Palestinian children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since October 2023. The report underscores a significant escalation, with one Palestinian child being killed every two days due to aggressive actions by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).

This alarming statistic, reflecting an almost three-and-a-half-fold increase from the preceding nine months, has drawn international concern. Published on Monday, the report detailed that 143 Palestinian children have lost their lives in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since October last year. This figure marks a nearly 250% rise compared to the 41 children killed in the previous nine months.

The report further disclosed that over 440 Palestinian children have been injured by Israeli live ammunition during this period. It also noted that two Israeli children have died in the West Bank due to conflict-related violence during the same timeframe.

The casualties have been widespread, affecting 10 out of the 11 governorates in the West Bank, with more than half occurring in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nablus. The report pointed out that these areas have seen an increase in large and militarized law enforcement operations over the past two years, indicating a shift in intensity and scope.

Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director, voiced deep concern over the escalating violence and its severe impact on children. “For years now, children living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have been exposed to horrific violence,” she stated. Russell emphasized that the situation has deteriorated further due to the escalation of hostilities inside Gaza. “We are seeing frequent allegations of Palestinian children being detained on their way home from school, or shot while walking on the streets. The violence needs to stop now,” she urged.

Before October 7, the West Bank was already experiencing the highest levels of violence in two decades, with 41 Palestinian children killed in the first nine months of last year.

Reporting from Ramallah, Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh provided insights into the ongoing violence, particularly highlighting the extended raid in Tulkarem. “The raid in Tulkarem has been ongoing for more than 12 hours now. Communication has been disrupted and electricity cut off to the refugee camp,” Odeh reported. “We know there was a drone strike; this is the latest in 28 drone attacks that the Israeli army has carried out in the occupied West Bank in the past nine months.”

Odeh added that Israel’s drone strikes have resulted in the deaths of 77 Palestinians, including 14 children. In the latest attack in Tulkarem, a woman was killed, and her body was delivered to the Palestine Red Crescent Society. The IOF reported the deaths of two fighters, though local sources indicate that up to five people were killed.

Further south, in Sa’ir and ash-Shuyukh, two Palestinians were killed in separate raids, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The report paints a harrowing picture of the current situation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, calling for urgent international attention to the plight of children caught in the crossfire of ongoing violence.