Washington: UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore called on the Palestinians and Israelis to end the ongoing violence amid reports more than a dozen children have been killed since Monday in the raging conflict.
“At least 14 children in the State of Palestine and 1 child in Israel have been reported killed since Monday,” Fore said in a statement on Wednesday. “I call on all sides to end all violence and de-escalate tensions. I urge all sides to protect all civilians, especially children, to spare essential civilian infrastructure from attacks, and to end violations against children.”
Earlier in the day, the Palestinian health ministry said in a press release to Sputnik that fourteen children were among 56 killed in Israeli airstrikes since Monday. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities said at least one child has been killed in Hamas rocket attacks.
Fore also pointed out that almost 95 children in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as 3 children in Israel have reportedly been injured in the past five days.
“The situation is at a dangerous tipping point. The level of violence and its impact on children is devastating,” she stressed. “We are on the brink of a full-scale war. In any war, children – all children – suffer first and suffer most.
Since Monday evening, Israel and the Gaza Strip have exchanged hundreds of rockets across the border, causing fatalities on both sides. The escalation follows days of clashes in East Jerusalem over an Israeli court’s decision to side with Jewish settlers requesting the eviction of several Palestinian families from their homes in the city’s neighborhood. (Sputnik)
UNICEF urges Israelis, Palestinians to end violence after 15 children Reported Killed
