Conflicts - UNICEF: 143 children and adolescents in the West Bank killed
In West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to UNICEF's statements, 143 children and adolescents have been killed in the past nine months. Additionally, 440 young Palestinians were injured by bullets, UNICEF added. These numbers are an "unnecessary and excessive use of violence against the most vulnerable." They represent a tripling of the casualty figures from the nine-month period before. On the Israeli side, two children have been killed in the West Bank in the past nine months, UNICEF noted.
"The situation has significantly deteriorated, which coincides with the escalation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. There are frequent reports that Palestinian children are stopped on their way home from school or shot while walking on the street. "The violence must stop," Russell said. The Israeli-Palestinian tensions are affecting the well-being of thousands of children and families who live in constant fear, according to UNICEF.
The situation in the West Bank has worsened significantly since the beginning of the Gaza War on October 7, 2023. According to the Health Ministry's reports, more than 550 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military raids, confrontations, or their own attacks in the West Bank. Violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers also increased during this period. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of 1967. The Palestinians claim these territories for their own state.
- UNICEF's Executive Director, Catherine Russell, expressed concern about the increased conflicts in the Palestinian territories, specifically mentioning the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where children are often caught in the crossfire.
- The conflicts in the Palestinian territories have led to a significant increase in casualties among children, as evidenced by UNICEF's statistics showing 143 children and adolescents killed and 440 injured in West Bank and East Jerusalem alone.
- Russell urged for an end to the violence in New York, stressing that the Israeli-Palestinian tensions are negatively affecting the mental and physical health of thousands of children and families who live in constant fear.
- The situation in West Bank has been particularly volatile since the Gaza War in 2023, resulting in a staggering number of 550 Palestinian deaths and increased violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers.
- The Palestinian territories, including West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, have been a subject of ongoing conflict for decades, with Israel and Palestine having contrasting claims to these territories.
