Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip for most of the time since Oct. 7, letting in only a trickle of food, medicine, and other much-needed aid, has almost certainly pushed up the death toll of children and adults alike.
WASHINGTON — The Gaza Strip is the “most dangerous place” in the world to be a child, a UN official said on Friday.
“Today, Gaza is again the most dangerous place to be a child. And winter is on the doorstep. All parties to the conflict must do everything possible to protect the lives and wellbeing of all children – no matter where they are,” Catherine Russell, executive director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said on X (formerly Twitter).
“No more children should die in this conflict,” she added, speaking on the day Israeli attacks resumed after a seven-day pause for hostage exchanges and to deliver humanitarian aid.
About 6,150 Palestinian children have reportedly been killed since Israel launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.
Over 100 Palestinians have died, and many have been injured since Israel resumed its attacks earlier Friday.
Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip for most of the time since Oct. 7, letting in only a trickle of food, medicine, and other much-needed aid, has almost certainly pushed up the death toll of children and adults alike.
On November 23, Russel first told the UN Security Council that the strip was the “most dangerous place in the world to be a child.”
“The true cost of this latest war in Palestine and Israel will be measured in children’s lives – those lost to the violence and those forever changed by it. Without an end to the fighting and full humanitarian access, the cost will continue to grow exponentially,” Russell said at a council briefing on women and children there. — Agencies
