“Israeli forces fired heavily at a UN convoy heading to Gaza City. Although there were no casualties, our teams had to duck and take cover.” in the incident that occurred on Sunday, according to the head UNRWACommissioner General Philippe Lazzarini, in a post on X, called for the perpetrators to be held accountable.
He noted that an armored vehicle was hit by “at least five bullets” while waiting just before an Israeli Forces checkpoint south of Wadi Gaza, which separates the north and south of the enclave.
“The vehicle was badly damaged, it left the convoy. The teams regrouped and eventually reached Gaza City,” Lazzarini said, adding that the mission was “coordinated and approved” by the Israeli authorities “like all other similar UN movements.”
New evacuation order affects Khan Younis
The development comes as Israeli airstrikes and heavy artillery continue to hit targets in villages east of Khan Younis in Gaza. New evacuation orders have been issued by the Israeli military for those sheltering in areas it had previously designated as “safe” humanitarian zones west of Khan Younis, where some 400,000 people are believed to be sheltering, according to local authorities.
Media reports quoted the Israeli military as saying it would be dangerous to remain in these areas as they intended to respond to attacks targeting them from there.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Aid, OCHAAbout nine out of 10 people in Gaza have been displaced at least once since last October.
Many people live in appalling conditions, the UN agency warned, amid a “rising” epidemic of infectious diseases, citing the UN health agency, WHONearly one million cases of acute respiratory infections were reported between October 7 and July 7. “Nearly 575,000 cases of acute diarrhoea and more than 100,000 cases of jaundice have also been reported,” the World Health Organization said in an update, although the actual number of infections is likely to be much higher.
West Bank child murders on the rise
Meanwhile in the occupied West Bank, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Monday that Youth murders tripled as of October 7, compared to the first nine months of 2023, with A young Palestinian dies every two days.Medium.
The United Nations agency said that 143 Palestinian children have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel sparked the Gaza war.compared to 41 Palestinian children killed between January and September 2023.
Two Israeli children also killed in the West Bank During the same period, conflict-related violence occurred and more than 440 Palestinian children were also injured by live ammunition, UNICEF said.
“For many years now, Children living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have witnessed horrific violence.“The situation has deteriorated significantly, coinciding with an escalation of fighting inside Gaza,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. We regularly see allegations of Palestinian children being arrested on their way home from school, or shot while walking in the streets.. The violence needs to stop now.”
Living in fear every day
Child casualties were reported in 10 of the 11 governorates in the occupied West Bank; more than half of the killings occurred in Jenin, Tulkarm and Nablus.These areas have seen an increase in major law enforcement operations and militarization over the past two years.showing changes in intensity and scope,” UNICEF explained.
“The heightened tensions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are also impacting the physical and mental health of thousands of children and families, who now live in daily fear for their lives. Children report that they are afraid to walk around their neighborhoods or go to school.”
Ahead of October 7, 2023, children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have been subjected to the highest levels of violence in 20 years, UNICEF said, with 41 Palestinian children and six Israeli children killed in the first nine months of last year. They have also been hit hard by restrictions on movement and access that disrupt their daily lives.
UNICEF has renewed its call on all parties to immediately cease and prevent further grave violations against children, including the killing and injury of children. Parties must comply with their obligations under international law to protect children. Children’s right to life must be protected and children must never be subjected to violence, regardless of who they are or where they live.
“The true cost of violence in the State of Palestine and Israel will be measured in the lives of children—those lost and those forever changed by it,” said Russell. “What children desperately need is an end to the violence and a lasting political solution to the crisis, so they can reach their full potential in peace and safety.”
