UNICEF: 2023 Was Deadliest Year for Children in West Bank
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - UNICEF has announced 2023 as the deadliest year on record for youngsters in the occupied West Bank, attributing the rise in fatalities among children to increased Israeli police and military activities linked to the ongoing war on Gaza.
UNICEF's statement, released on Thursday, highlighted a significant surge in "conflict-related violence" in the West Bank throughout the year, specifically noting the tragic death toll of 83 children over the past 12 weeks, surpassing double the total count for the entire year of 2022.
The agency emphasized the distressing plight of children in the West Bank, stating, “Children living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have been experiencing grinding violence for many years, yet the intensity of that violence has dramatically increased since the horrific attacks of October 7.”
In a stern condemnation, UNICEF denounced the “grave violations against children, in particular killing and maiming”, urging all parties to protect children’s “most basic right simply to be alive.”
According to UNICEF's data, at least 124 Palestinian children have lost their lives in the West Bank this year, along with six Israeli youths. Additionally, 576 children have suffered injuries in the region.
Recently, the UN Human Rights Office called on Israeli forces to halt "unlawful killings" in the West Bank, highlighting a substantial uptick in airstrikes on densely populated refugee camps.
The office also warned of a “rapidly deteriorating human rights situation” in the West Bank, demanding an “immediate end to the use of military weapons and means during law enforcement operations,” and an end to the “arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of Palestinians.”
Conditions in Gaza have also drastically worsened since the latest Israeli war, resulting in over 21,000 fatalities and more than 55,000 injuries, primarily impacting women and children, as reported by local health authorities.