UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on Monday urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to immediately adopt a resolution that enforces international law obligations, demands a ceasefire, and emphasizes safe access for humanitarian aid and the release of abducted children.
"I implore the Security Council to immediately adopt a resolution that reminds parties of their obligations under international law, calls for a ceasefire, demands that parties allow safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, demands the immediate and safe release of all abducted and detained children and urges parties to afford children the special protection to which they are entitled," Russell said during a UNSC briefing on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Russell noted that the Palestinian Ministry of Health has documented the deaths of 8,300 Palestinians, including over 3,400 children, while more than 6,300 children have sustained injuries, resulting in a daily average of over 420 children facing death or injury in Gaza.
She also noted that this violence against children extends beyond the Gaza Strip, with at least 37 children reportedly killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and more than 30 Israeli children reported as killed. Meanwhile at least 20 Israeli children remain in captivity in the Gaza Strip, with their fates remaining uncertain, she said.
"UNICEF and our partners are committed to staying on the ground to deliver for children. But make no mistake, the situation grows worse by the hour … and without an urgent end to the hostilities, I am deeply afraid for the fate of the region’s children," Russell added.