DaysofPal – Another urgent alarm has been raised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) concerning the unfolding catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, where, on average, 27 children have been killed every day since hostilities began in October 2023.
“The killing of Palestinian children is part of the dehumanizing culture towards Palestinians, which is institutional in the Israeli mainstream political parties,” Kazem Abu Khalaf, UNICEF spokesperson in Palestine, said on Friday.
His remarks encapsulate the rising outcry over the devastating human toll of the war, which continues to most acutely affect children. According to official figures published by the Gaza Government Information Office, in coordination with UNICEF and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 18,000 children have been killed in the nine months since Israel’s assault on Gaza began.
And even for those who survive the bombardment, the siege is no less fatal. Some 5,000 children in Gaza alone were malnourished in May. And with assistance cut off and medical supplies almost nonexistent, survival itself is increasingly a battle.
Only this week, the Gaza media office released the figure that 66 kids have died of starvation as a result of the continued Israeli siege in the area that prevents the entry of vital products, including children’s formula.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell strongly condemned on Thursday the killing of children and their families as they waited for food. She warned that continued curbs on aid were driving thousands of children toward starvation.
“Unless life-saving assistance and services are scaled up again, the number of malnourished children will increase,” Russell said. “International law is unequivocal: All parties to the conflict must protect civilians and guarantee safe and unhindered humanitarian access.”
Russell also called on Israel to immediately put its rules of engagement by its military under “independent review” to make sure they adhere to international humanitarian law and prevent civilian casualties, “including children.”
She demanded a full, independent investigation of recent events and of all alleged violations.
“The killing and the suffering of children and civilians must end,” she said. “Children should get food, water, and medical supplies safely and quickly.”
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