ISTANBUL

An average of over 540 children have been killed every month in Gaza since the resumption of Israeli attacks on the enclave in March, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said Tuesday, as the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned that its shelters have become “places of death” for civilians.

“In Gaza, UNRWA schools have become shelters for hundreds of thousands of people,” UNRWA said in a statement on the US social media company X.

“People sought protection under the UN flag only for these shelters to become a place for death, including for too many children.”

“No place is safe for children in Gaza,” the statement added, calling for an immediate ceasefire.

UN agencies have warned of the devastating impact of Israel’s ongoing military campaign on Gaza’s children, as schools, hospitals, and homes are being relentlessly targeted.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, famine has killed at least 266 Palestinians, including 112 children, since October 2023, amid a worsening blockade and severe aid shortages.

Israel has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.