Thousands of Palestinian children buried under rubble in Gaza: UNICEF
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UNICEF's deputy executive director underscores the severe toll on Palestinian children amid widespread death and destruction due to the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza.
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Palestinians recover the bodies of the al-Meghari family including children killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in the al-Bureij refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, November 14, 2023. (AP)
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban highlighted the significant number of child casualties in the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip during a UN Security Council meeting on children and armed conflict on Wednesday. He stressed that thousands of children remain buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings in the Palestinian territory.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he emphasized that Palestinian children are experiencing "incomprehensible suffering," especially in the Gaza Strip, amid the “staggering” scale of death and destruction.
Chaiban mentioned that over 23,000 cases of children being killed or injured in 2023 remain unverified due to insecurity, movement restrictions, and significant risks faced by humanitarian personnel working in Gaza.
🚨With their bare hands, civil defense rescuers save a woman from the rubble of a house bombed by Israeli forces in eastern #Gaza amid their brutal attack and massacres in Shujaiya neighborhood. pic.twitter.com/1rWpYqihjX
— Nour Naim| نُور (@NourNaim88) June 27, 2024
“The bodies of thousands of missing children remain buried under rubble, and none of this includes the thousands of violations reported so far in 2024,” he stressed.
The UNICEF official also highlighted the obstacles hindering aid deliveries to Gaza, which are contributing to the rising number of acutely malnourished children. He noted that "after nearly nine months of horrible conflict, UNICEF and other humanitarian actors are still struggling to reach those in need."
He further called for “a complete ceasefire” in Gaza, where many children are dying due to the starvation imposed by "Israel" on the besieged territory.
War on Gaza orphaned over 17,000 children, Gov. says
In a heartwrenching revelation, the Government Media Office in Gaza reported Monday that over 17,000 children have become orphans since the start of the Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza more than eight months ago.
More shockingly, according to the Government Media Office in Gaza, three percent of the orphaned children in the region have tragically lost both parents due to the ongoing Israeli aggression.
'Families are tortured'
Save the Children, a leading humanitarian organization for children, reported that around 21,000 Palestinian children are believed to be missing due to "Israel’s" intense attacks on Gaza. This estimate includes approximately 17,000 children who are separated from their families and unaccompanied, as well as about 4,000 children who are feared to be missing under the rubble.
The organization also highlighted that some children might have been buried in unmarked graves, while others have forcibly disappeared, including those abducted and taken out of Gaza.
“Families are tortured by the uncertainty of the whereabouts of their loved ones. No parent should have to dig through rubble or mass graves to try and find their child’s body. No child should be alone, unprotected in a war zone. No child should be detained or held hostage,” said Jeremy Stoner, Save the Children’s regional director for the Middle East.
He emphasized the critical need for a ceasefire in Gaza, describing it as essential to supporting the surviving missing children and preventing further devastation of families.
'Israel' killed over 14,000 children
Earlier this year, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported that "Israel" has killed over 14,000 children in Gaza since October 7, with others being starved to death due to malnutrition as a result of the total Israeli blockade.
Children of Gaza are dying of hunger💔 pic.twitter.com/N3KIWAupkC
— Emelia 🇸🇪 (@Bernadotte22) June 27, 2024
"Since October, Gaza has faced relentless violence which has killed over 37,000 people, including thousands of children," as per the Save the Children report.
As of June 9, the report also indicated that approximately 250 Palestinian children are unaccounted for in the occupied West Bank.
Read more: UN Guterres puts 'Israel' on list of global offenders against children
