UNICEF Condemns Israeli Military and Settler Violence Against West Bank Children

The United Nations issued a stinging condemnation on Tuesday regarding the "intolerable price" Palestinian children are paying as Israeli military operations and settler violence escalate across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

According to James Elder, spokesperson for the UN children’s agency (UNICEF), 70 Palestinian children have been killed since the start of 2025. 

Since the commencement of a large-scale Israeli military operation in the West Bank early last year, "at least one Palestinian child has been killed on average every single week," Elder told reporters, noting that an additional 850 children have been injured during this timeframe.

"Most of those killed or wounded were done by live ammunition," Elder stated, revealing that Israeli forces were responsible for 93 percent of the fatalities. 

He further highlighted that these intensified military actions are occurring alongside "historic levels of settler attacks." 

UN data indicates that March 2026 recorded the highest number of Palestinians injured by Israeli settlers in at least two decades. "Documented incidents include children shot, stabbed, children beaten and children pepper-sprayed," the spokesperson pointed out.

Beyond direct violence, Elder emphasized that these events are taking place against a backdrop of the "steady dismantling of the conditions children need to survive and grow." 

He cited the demolition of homes, the destruction of education facilities, attacks on water systems, obstructed healthcare access, and severe restrictions on movement.

The humanitarian situation has been further exacerbated by a dramatic spike in barriers and restrictions, which routinely cut children off from essential services. 

This has triggered a crisis of mass displacement; in the first four months of 2026 alone, over 2,500 Palestinians—including 1,100 children—have been displaced in the West Bank. 

"That surpasses the total displacement recorded in 2025," Elder noted.

Violence in the West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967 in violation of international law, has surged since the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023. 

An AFP tally based on Palestinian Authority figures indicates that Israeli soldiers or settlers have killed at least 1,070 Palestinians, including many militants, since the conflict began. 

During the same period, official Israeli figures show at least 46 Israelis, including soldiers and civilians, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during military operations.

Source: AFP