Since October 4, at least one child has been killed and 10 others injured each day in Lebanon, according to a statement from UNICEF on Thursday amid the ongoing Israeli aggression.

UNICEF reported that while many children have avoided physical harm, they are suffering from severe trauma due to the ongoing Israeli war. Many exhibit signs of emotional distress, such as separation anxiety, withdrawal, aggression, and difficulties with concentration.

Additionally, disrupted sleep, nightmares, headaches, and loss of appetite are common among affected children, who, without the stability of school, lack safe spaces to play, learn, and heal.

On this issue, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell called for an immediate ceasefire to safeguard children's well-being, stating, "The ongoing war in Lebanon is upending children’s lives, and in many cases, inflicting severe physical wounds and deep emotional scars."

"War tears apart the safe and nurturing environments children need," Russell emphasized.

"When children are forced to endure prolonged periods of traumatic stress, they face severe health and psychological risks, and the consequences can last a lifetime," she added.

It is worth noting that Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reported that since last year, 166 children have been killed and 1,168 injured.

'Israel' attacks Lebanese, Palestinian children alike

In a related context, UN officials from the fact-finding mission investigating Israeli war crimes have strongly refuted the entity's justification for its ongoing genocide against Palestinians.

During a UN briefing on Wednesday, Miloon Kothari and Chris Sidoti from the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory condemned the Israeli framing of Palestinians, especially children, as "terrorists" to rationalize its indiscriminate attacks on Gaza.

"Kids aren't terrorists," Sidoti emphasized, criticizing the Israeli branding of the population. The officials highlighted that this rhetoric has been used to justify the killing of at least 13,319 Palestinian children since the onslaught on Gaza began in October last year, contributing to the over 43,000 Palestinian killings during the brutal military campaign.

Kothari called on the Israeli key allies to reconsider their military and political support, urging them to respect international law by distinguishing between "the occupier and the occupied."

In addition, Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, called for immediate international efforts to prevent the "complete destruction" of Gaza.

"The developments on the ground are gruesome," she said.

"The genocidal violence that I have described in my first report has expanded and metastasized in other parts of the occupied Palestinian territory," the official stressed.

In her report to the UN Security Council on the situation in Gaza, Francesca Albanese concluded that "Israel" was committing genocide against the Palestinian territory. She also challenged "Israel's" legitimacy to hold a seat at the United Nations.

Albanese further criticized the United States, "Israel’s" largest supporter, accusing it of being an "enabler in what Israel has been doing," noting that the US has supplied "Israel" with billions of dollars in military aid since the war began.

Read more: 40% of 43,000 killed by Israeli forces in Gaza are children