2023 was the deadliest year for children in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to Unicef
At least 124 Palestinian children and six Israelis have been murdered so far this year in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, an unprecedented number that makes 2023 the deadliest for children, which comes as violence intensifies in those areas following the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Unicef denounced this Thursday. “This year has been the deadliest for children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and conflict-related violence has reached unprecedented levels,” indicates a report from 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 territories live with “an almost constant feeling of fear and grief”, and many of them “are even afraid to go to school or play outdoors due to the threat of shootings and other related acts of violence.” with the conflict.”
And “the intensity of this violence has increased dramatically” since the war between the Islamist group Hamas and Israel broke out on October 7, says Unicef, reporting that at least 83 children have been murdered in the last three months, “more than double the number of children murdered in all of 2022.”
“Serious violations against children, particularly killings and maiming, are unacceptable. UNICEF calls on all parties to fulfill 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 in the Gaza Strip due to attacks by the Israeli Army since the war broke out.