Palestinian children are enduring catastrophic suffering amid Israel’s ongoing military offensive in Gaza, with one child killed or injured every 20 minutes on average, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The agency reports that over 50,000 children have been killed or wounded since the war began in October, and warns that the humanitarian crisis continues to escalate.
In a stark statement, UNICEF condemned the devastating impact on Gaza’s youngest and most vulnerable. “Grave violations. Blocked aid. Starvation. Homes, schools, hospitals—destroyed. This is the destruction of childhood. Of life itself. These are children, not numbers. No child should live through this. Not one more,” the agency said.
The emotional toll of the conflict was laid bare at the United Nations earlier this week, when veteran Palestinian diplomat Riyad Mansour broke down in tears while addressing the Security Council. Mansour recounted the horrific experience of Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, a 36-year-old pediatrician and mother of ten, who was working in a hospital when her own children were brought in—nine of them already dead, their bodies burned. “A horror and trauma the mind cannot comprehend. The heart cannot withstand,” he said.
Mansour highlighted the sharp increase in child casualties following the collapse of a ceasefire agreement in March, noting that over 1,300 Palestinian children have been killed and around 4,000 injured since then. “These are children,” he emphasized. “And still, war continues… barbarism continues… against children.”
The ongoing conflict has drawn international condemnation, with aid organizations and human rights groups calling for an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access to prevent further loss of life.
