WEST BANK, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), UNICEF warned on Tuesday of a dangerous escalation in the targeting of Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank, saying that one Palestinian child has been killed every week on average since the beginning of 2025 amid ongoing Israeli military operations and rising settler violence.
Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said at least 70 Palestinian children have been killed in the West Bank, including Occupied Jerusalem, since January.
Elder added that about 93% of those children were killed by Israeli forces, noting that “most victims were shot with live ammunition,” while more than 850 children were injured during the same period.
He said children are paying an unbearable price due to escalating military raids and attacks across the West Bank, including Occupied Jerusalem.
UNICEF called on Israeli authorities to take immediate and decisive measures to prevent the killing and maiming of more Palestinian children, urging protection for homes, schools, and water infrastructure and compliance with international law.
The UN organization also urged influential countries to pressure Israel to respect international law and halt violations against Palestinian civilians.
UNICEF’s warning comes amid an unprecedented rise in Israeli military and settler attacks across the West Bank since the start of the genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, with Israeli forces intensifying raids and military operations, especially in refugee camps in the northern West Bank.
In January 2025, the Israeli military launched a large-scale operation targeting Palestinian refugee camps, particularly in Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams, accompanied by widespread demolitions, bulldozing, and the forced displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians.
According to data published by human rights organizations, Israeli military and settler attacks in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war have killed hundreds of Palestinians, including dozens of children, while thousands have been injured and subjected to mass arrest campaigns amid continued settlement expansion and the establishment of new outposts under Israeli military protection.
