An average of 420 Palestinian children have been killed or injured every day in the Gaza Strip since October 7, according to a statement from the United Nations. The UN has described the Gaza Strip as a graveyard for thousands of children and has warned of the prospect of more dying from dehydration amid Israel’s ongoing war on the besieged enclave. The Israeli army has escalated its air and ground attacks on Gaza, targeting houses and hospitals, in response to a surprise offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,400 people in Israel, according to Israeli officials. Gaza’s health ministry reported that over 8,500 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been killed.
James Elder, a spokesperson for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), expressed grave concerns over the alarming numbers of children killed and injured, stating that more than 3,450 children have been killed and this number continues to rise significantly every day. Catherine Russell, the executive director of UNICEF, added that at least 6,300 children have been injured due to the Israeli attacks. This means that, on average, 420 Palestinian children are killed or injured every day in the Gaza Strip.
Calling for immediate action, UNICEF has urged for a humanitarian ceasefire and the opening of all access crossings into Gaza for the safe and sustained delivery of humanitarian aid, including water, food, medical supplies, and fuel. The organization warns of even greater horrors if the situation continues to deteriorate, with the spokesman emphasizing the critical water crisis faced by over one million children in Gaza. Gaza’s daily water output is currently at only five percent of its production capacity, posing a growing threat of dehydration and infant deaths.
The spokesperson also highlighted the long-lasting trauma faced by children and communities in Gaza, which will continue to affect future generations even after the conflict ends. Prior to the current conflict, over 800,000 children in Gaza, three-quarters of the child population, were already identified as in need of mental health and psychological support.
Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), revealed that nearly 70 percent of Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip during the past three weeks were children and women. He emphasized that the number of children killed in Gaza since October 7 has exceeded the annual number of children killed in conflict zones worldwide since 2019. The heavy Israeli bombardment has left no safe place in the blockaded territory.
The Gaza Strip is also facing an Israeli blockade, which has severely limited access to fuel, electricity, water supplies, and aid deliveries. The needs of the 2.3 million Palestinians living there are not being adequately met. The threats faced by children in Gaza go beyond bombs, with water scarcity and trauma being major concerns in the besieged enclave.
The situation in Gaza demands urgent attention and action from the international community to protect the lives and well-being of Palestinian children. The UN has called for an end to the violence and for immediate humanitarian assistance to be provided to alleviate the dire conditions in the Gaza Strip.
