UNICEF calls for protection of civilians, cessation of hostilities in West Bank

NEW YORK, Feb. 13 (YPA) – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) called for the immediate cessation of the armed Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank.

UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, reported that 13 Palestinian children have been killed in the West Bank since the start of the year, including 7 during a major military campaign by Israeli forces on January 19.

 Beigbeder highlighted the killing of a two-and-a-half-year-old child and the injury of his pregnant mother, urging an immediate halt to violence against children and the protection of civilians.

He emphasized the severe impact of airstrikes, explosives, and demolitions in densely populated areas like Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas, which have disrupted essential services like water and electricity.

 UNICEF data shows that 195 Palestinian children have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem (Quds), since October 7, 2023, marking a 200% increase over the last 16 months compared to earlier periods.

 The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that between January 2023 and January 2025, 224 children were killed in the West Bank by Israeli occupation forces or Zionist settlers, nearly half of all child fatalities since records began in 2005.

The UN also recorded over 2,500 Palestinian children injured in the West Bank from January 2023 to January 2024.

Since October 7, 2023, Israeli occupation forces and settlers have escalated operations, resulting in 911 Palestinian deaths, more than 7,000 injuries, and approximately 14,500 arrests, according to official Palestinian sources.

YPA