UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Catherine Russell said Tuesday that one million children still remain in the Gaza Strip, and many of them are believed to be missing or buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
"Today I visited the Gaza Strip to meet with children, their families and UNICEF staff. What I saw and heard was devastating. They have endured repeated bombardment, loss and displacement. Inside the Strip, there is nowhere safe for Gaza’s one million children to turn," Russell said in a statement on the website.
She added that over 4,600 children have reportedly been killed, and nearly 9,000 have reportedly been injured.
"Many children are missing and believed buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings and homes, the tragic result of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. Meanwhile, newborn babies who require specialized care have died in one of Gaza’s hospitals as power and medical supplies run out, and violence continues with indiscriminate effect," she said, adding that "the parties to the conflict are committing grave violations against children; these include killing, maiming, abductions, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access – all of which UNICEF condemns."
She also said over 100 staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) have been killed since October, adding that "many people, including our staff and their families, are now living in overcrowded shelters with very little water, food or decent sanitation" and that "the risk to humanitarian actors inside Gaza cannot be overstated."
On October 7, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing and abducting people in neighboring Israeli communities. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel.
On October 27, Israel launched a large-scale ground incursion inside the Gaza Strip with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people in Israel and over 11,000 in the Gaza Strip.
