NEW YORK, May 12, 2026 (WAFA) – A Palestinian child has been killed on average every week in the occupied West Bank since January 2025, according to UNICEF.

Speaking during a press briefing in Geneva, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder stated: “Between January 2025 and today, at least one Palestinian child has been killed, on average, every week.”

“That is, 70 Palestinian children killed in this timeframe. Ninety-three per cent of these were killed by Israeli forces. A further 850 children were injured,” he added.

Elder attributed the fatalities not only to intensified Israeli military raids and aggressions, but also to “historic levels of Israeli settler attacks,” describing the impact on Palestinian youth as an "intolerable price."

He noted that March 2026 saw the highest number of Palestinians injured by colonist attacks in the past 20 years, explaining that most of the children killed or wounded were hit by live ammunition, while others were stabbed, beaten, and pepper-sprayed.

He stressed that “These are not isolated incidents—they point to a sustained pattern of the worst kinds of violations of children’s rights, as well as attacks on children’s homes, on their schools, and on the water they rely on.”

He warned that the violence was not limited to direct attacks but also involved the “steady dismantling” of systems children depend on to survive and grow, including homes, schools, water infrastructure, and healthcare access.

“Their suffering cannot be normalized,” Elder said, urging the Israeli occupation authorities to take immediate and decisive action to prevent further killing and maiming of Palestinian children and to protect their homes, schools and access to water in line with international law.

He also called on “Member States with influence, to use their leverage to ensure that international law is respected.”

K.F.