Conflicts: Unicef: 143 children and young people killed in the West Bank

According to the UN children’s agency Unicef, 143 children and young people have been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the past nine months. In addition, 440 young Palestinians have been injured by ammunition, Unicef ​​said. These figures represent an “unnecessary and excessive use of violence against the most vulnerable”. They represent a tripling of the number of victims compared to the previous nine-month period. On the Israeli side, two children have been killed in the West Bank in the past nine months, Unicef ​​added.

“The situation has deteriorated significantly, coinciding with the escalation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. There are frequent allegations that Palestinian children are detained on their way home from school or shot while walking in the street. “The violence must stop now,” said Russell. Israeli-Palestinian tensions are affecting the well-being of thousands of children and families who run in fear for their lives every day, said UNICEF.

The situation in the West Bank has worsened significantly since the start of the Gaza War following the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023. Since then, more than 550 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations, confrontations or attacks in the West Bank, according to the Ministry of Health. Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians also increased during this period. Israel conquered and occupied the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of 1967. The Palestinians claim these territories for their own state.