Israel kills one Palestinian child every two days in occupied West Bank

The Israeli army's relentless use of force against Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem has sharply increased since October 2023, resulting in the deaths of 141 children and injuries to over 440 others from live ammunition.

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) highlighted in a press release on Monday a staggering surge of nearly 250% in the deaths of Palestinian children during Israeli military operations across various cities.

The alarming statistics prompted UNICEF to urgently call for an end to Israeli atrocities in the occupied territories.

The majority of these deaths were reported in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nablus, where Israeli forces have intensified their military presence over the past two years.

“For years now, children living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have been exposed to horrific violence,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement.

“The situation has deteriorated significantly, coinciding with 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,” he added. 

UNICEF also reported that the Israeli army's aggressive measures and severe restrictions on movement are severely impacting "the physical and mental well-being of thousands of children and families."

Before the current military escalation, the UN agency noted that the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem had already been experiencing the "highest levels of violence in 20 years," resulting in the deaths of 41 Palestinian children and 6 Israeli children in 2023.