UNICEF Reports Ongoing Child Deaths in West Bank Amid Rising Violence
(MENAFN) At least 70 Palestinian children have lost their lives in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the start of 2025, averaging nearly one child killed every week, UNICEF said Tuesday.
During a briefing in Geneva, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said Israeli forces were responsible for 93% of the child deaths recorded during the period. He added that around 850 other children have been wounded, most of them by live gunfire.
“Children are paying an intolerable price for escalating militarised operations" and Israeli occupier attacks across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Elder said.
He warned that the impact on children extends beyond direct violence, pointing to what he described as the ongoing destruction of essential systems families rely on, including housing, education, water services and healthcare infrastructure.
According to UNICEF figures, more than 2,500 Palestinians — among them 1,100 children — were displaced during the first four months of 2026 alone, surpassing the total number displaced throughout all of 2025.
Elder also highlighted a major rise in incidents affecting schools and education, with UNICEF documenting 99 education-related cases this year involving killings, injuries, arrests, school demolitions and restrictions preventing access to education.
During a briefing in Geneva, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said Israeli forces were responsible for 93% of the child deaths recorded during the period. He added that around 850 other children have been wounded, most of them by live gunfire.
“Children are paying an intolerable price for escalating militarised operations" and Israeli occupier attacks across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Elder said.
He warned that the impact on children extends beyond direct violence, pointing to what he described as the ongoing destruction of essential systems families rely on, including housing, education, water services and healthcare infrastructure.
According to UNICEF figures, more than 2,500 Palestinians — among them 1,100 children — were displaced during the first four months of 2026 alone, surpassing the total number displaced throughout all of 2025.
Elder also highlighted a major rise in incidents affecting schools and education, with UNICEF documenting 99 education-related cases this year involving killings, injuries, arrests, school demolitions and restrictions preventing access to education.
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