Israel’s renewed offensive in Gaza has reportedly left at least 322 children dead and 609 wounded in the Palestinian territory in the past 10 days, Unicef has said.
The figures include children who were reportedly killed or wounded when the surgical department of Al Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza was hit in an attack on March 23, the UN children’s agency said in a statement.
Unicef said most of these children were displaced and sheltering in makeshift tents or damaged homes.
Ending a nearly two-month ceasefire in the war with Hamas, Israel resumed intense bombing of Gaza on March 18 and then launched a new ground offensive.
“The ceasefire in Gaza provided a desperately needed lifeline for Gaza’s children and hope for a path to recovery,” said Unicef executive director Catherine Russell. “But children have again been plunged into a cycle of deadly violence and deprivation.”
The Unicef statement said that after nearly 18 months of war, more than 15,000 children have reportedly been killed, 34,000 reportedly injured, and nearly one million children have been displaced repeatedly and denied basic services.
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