IOF kill a Palestinian child every two days in West Bank: UN
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Since October 7, 143 children have been killed by the Israeli occupation forces in the occupied West Bank.
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The mother of Amr al-Najjar, 11, touches his face during his funeral in the West Bank village of Burin, near Nablus, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. (AP)
143 Palestinian children have been killed by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in the West Bank since October 7, compared to the 41 children that were killed during the first nine months of 2023, the United Nations revealed in a recent report.
This equals a 250% surge in deaths since the nine months that preceded the war, with an average of one child getting killed every two days since October 7 in the occupied West Bank and eastern occupied al-Quds.
In the same statement, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said children living in the West Bank and east of al-Quds "have been exposed to horrific violence," noting that the situation has aggravated since the war on Gaza began.
"We are seeing frequent allegations of Palestinian children being detained on their way home from school, or shot while walking on the streets," with the victims being reported in 10 out of 11 governates in the West Bank, mostly in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nablus, further noting that 440 Palestinian children have sustained injuries from live ammunition fired by the IOF.
Reportedly, this is the highest level of violence witnessed by Palestinians in the West Bank at the hands of the Israeli occupation.
UNICEF reiterated its call for all parties to immediately cease and prevent further severe violations against children, adding that they must fulfill their obligations under international law to safeguard children and their right to life, stressing that they should never be targets of violence, regardless of their identity or location.
Prisoners orgs. release new statistics on detainees across Palestine
More than 9,700 Palestinians have been detained by Israeli occupation forces in the occupied West Bank since October 7, 2023, announced Palestinian institutions concerned with prisoners' affairs in a joint statement.
The Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission, the Palestinian Prisoners Society, and the Addameer Association for Human Rights released a detailed report on detentions across occupied Palestine.
The organizations revealed that over 330 women from the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank, and occupied '48 Palestinian territories were arrested since October 7 last year.
Another 675 children were arrested and detained in adult prisons, marking yet another grave violation of international law.
Israeli authorities have also issued over 7,500 administrative detention orders, which include orders issued for the first time and renewed orders, involving both children and women.
