Palestinians walk on the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli bombardment in the Nuseirat refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip on October 30, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. Photo by MOHAMMED ABED / AFP
London: The number of children reported killed in Gaza in just three weeks has surpassed the annual number of children killed across the world's conflict zones since 2019, London-based Save the Children said in a report.
Since October 7, more than 3,257 children have been reported killed, including at least 3,195 in Gaza, 33 in the West Bank. The number of children reported killed in just three weeks in Gaza is more than the number killed in armed conflict globally across more than 20 countries over the course of a whole year, for the last three years, the humanitarian organization for children said.
Rescuing babies from the aftermath of Israeli aggression in Gaza can be bittersweet... A recent video shows paramedic Ahmed Awad trying to hold back his tears as he cares for a 3-month-old baby girl after she was rescued from an Israeli bombardment in Khan Yunis.#Gaza #Palestine pic.twitter.com/1SmuTCMLR5
— The Peninsula Qatar (@PeninsulaQatar) October 30, 2023
Children make up more than 40% of the 7,703 people killed in Gaza. With a further 1,000 children reported missing in Gaza assumed buried under the rubble, the death toll is likely much higher, it added.
On Friday, Israeli forces announced "expanded ground operations" in the Gaza Strip, with Save the Children warning it will bring more deaths, injuries and distress while calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Save the Children Country Director in the occupied Palestinian territory Jason Lee, said: "Three weeks of violence have ripped children from families and torn through their lives at an unimaginable rate. The numbers are harrowing and with violence not only continuing but expanding in Gaza right now, many more children remain at grave risk."
"One child's death is one too many, but these are grave violations of epic proportions. A ceasefire is the only way to ensure their safety. The international community must put people before politics every day spent debating is leaving children killed and injured. Children must be protected at all times, especially when they are seeking safety in schools and hospitals," Lee stressed.
It is reported that at least 6,360 children in Gaza have also been injured, as well as at least 180 children in the West Bank. More than 200 individuals, including children, remain hostages inside Gaza.
More children will die unless a ceasefire is agreed
More children will die in Israel’s war on Gaza unless all parties agree to a ceasefire, Save the Children told Al Jazeera.
“This is the deadliest year since 2019 and that really speaks to the gravity of the situation in Gaza. Thousands of children have been killed and this will continue unless ceasefire is agreed,” Soraya Ali, Save the Children’s Global Media Manager for the Middle East-North Africa region, said.
“We can all agree that with every air strike and every bullet shot, a child’s sense of security is ripped away from them. What we owe to children is a ceasefire and all parties to agree to adhere to the rules of international humanitarian law.”
