More than 340 children killed in Gaza despite Israel-Hamas ceasefire, UNICEF says

Since the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza over a year ago, the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has reported that more than 340 Palestinian children have lost their lives. In the last two weeks, five boys and two girls have been killed, and at least 33 children have been seriously injured in Israeli air strikes, drone attacks, and gunfire.

Unicef spokesperson Ricardo Pires criticized the ceasefire, stating that the statistics do not align with the expectations most people have. The agency revealed that approximately 800,000 Palestinian children are currently displaced, with most living in tents or damaged buildings. An estimated 60,000 children have lost one or both parents, and nearly all of them require some form of mental health support.

Pires warned that children in Gaza are facing their fourth winter in dire conditions. All six wastewater treatment plants in Gaza are currently out of service, and the majority of raw sewage is being pumped into the sea. The Sheikh Radwan stormwater basin, which is half full, risks overflowing into residential areas when winter rains arrive. While it could be drained within two weeks, Israel has not permitted the necessary equipment to enter Gaza.

Pires urged Israeli authorities to allow the import of materials, spare parts, generators, and fuel to restore essential services, as well as to uphold the ceasefire. He lamented that "Gaza's children have suffered far too much, for far too long."