Israel Unicef: 143 children and young people killed in the West Bank

According to the UN Children's Fund Unicef, 143 children and young people have been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the past nine months.

In addition, 440 young Palestinians have been injured by ammunition, according to Unicef. These figures are an "unnecessary and excessive use of force against the most vulnerable". They represent a tripling of the number of victims compared to the previous nine-month period. On the Israeli side, two children have been killed in the West Bank in the past nine months, added Unicef.

"The situation has deteriorated significantly, coinciding with the escalation of hostilities in Gaza," said Unicef Executive Director Catherine Russell. She said there were frequent allegations of Palestinian children being detained on their way home from school or shot while walking in the street.

"The violence must stop now," said Russell. Israeli-Palestinian tensions were affecting the well-being of thousands of children and families who were running in fear for their lives every day, Unicef said.

The situation in the West Bank has worsened significantly since the start of the Gaza war following the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023. Since then, more than 550 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations, confrontations or their own attacks in the West Bank, according to the Ministry of Health.

Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians also increased during this period. Israel conquered and occupied the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War. The Palestinians claim these territories for their own state.