The Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) reported comments from Catherine Russell, the Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), expressing shock at the “magnitude and pace of destruction in the Gaza Strip.”
In a post on the platform “X” (formerly Twitter), Russell highlighted the devastating impact of the Gaza war, stating that it “has resulted in the death of over 13,000 children and countless injuries.”
The UNICEF official pointed out that the war has led to the deaths of teachers, doctors, and humanitarian workers.
She urgently called for “an immediate ceasefire in Gaza,” noting that “homes, schools, and hospitals are destroyed,” and warned of an impending famine in Gaza, according to WAFA.
Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip have continued since October 7, 2023, following the announcement by Hamas, the governing authority in the Strip, of the start of “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.”
Thousands of rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel, and Hamas forces entered Israeli towns near the Strip, resulting in the death of approximately 1,200 Israelis, mostly settlers, and the capture of around 250 others.
The Israeli assault on Gaza has, to date, resulted in over 33,000 deaths and 75,000 injuries, predominantly among children and women, based on hospital admissions.
More than 7,000 individuals are reported missing under the rubble caused by continuous bombardment across the Strip.
The entire Gaza Strip is facing a severe crisis in water and food supplies due to the destruction of infrastructure by the Israeli army, including desalination plants and water lines.
The United Nations (UN) has warned of the dire consequences of the hunger crisis engulfing Gaza’s inhabitants as the war between Hamas and Israel persists.
Since the onset of the devastating war on Gaza, the Israeli military has tightened its blockade on the Strip, cutting off supplies of water, food, medicine, electricity, and fuel to the nearly 2.3 million Palestinians living there, who were already experiencing extremely dire conditions.
