At least 70 Palestinian children have been killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the beginning of 2025, an average of one child per week, UNICEF said today, reports Anadolu.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva, UNICEF spokesman James Elder said 93 percent of the children were killed by Israeli forces while another 850 children were injured, most by live ammunition. combat.

“Children are paying an intolerable price for escalating militarized operations” and Israeli occupation attacks across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” Elder said.

He warned that the violence was not limited to direct attacks, but also included the “continuous dismantling” of the systems on which children depend to survive and grow, including homes, schools, infrastructure of water and access to health care.

According to UNICEF, more than 2,500 Palestinians, including 1,100 children, were displaced in the first four months of 2026 alone, surpassing the total displacement recorded in all of 2025.

Elder cited a significant increase in attacks affecting education, with 99 documented incidents related to education in the year 2026, including killings, injuries, detentions, school demolitions and denial of access to schools.

“Schools, which should be places of safety and stability, are increasingly becoming places of fear,” he said. The spokesman further warned of worsening humanitarian conditions, including damage to water infrastructure and increased detentions of children.

According to UNICEF, 347 Palestinian children from West Bankers are currently held in Israeli military custody, the highest number in eight years, with more than half under administrative detention.

“Their suffering cannot be normalized,” Elder said, urging Israeli authorities and influential states to act in accordance with international law to protect Palestinian children.

We use cookies to improve the experience and display ads (Google AdSense).
By clicking “Accept”, you agree to the use of cookies according to
Privacy Policy
and
Cookies Policy.
You can reject non-necessary cookies by clicking “Reject”.

Source: prizrenpost