UNICEF: Israel kills largest number of Gaza children in a single day in a year

The Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Catherine Russell, said on Tuesday that the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip left the highest number of child casualties in a single day in a year.

Russell said in a statement that the information and images coming from Gaza show how dire the situation is.

She added, "Reports indicate that hundreds of people have been killed, including more than 130 children. This represents the highest number of child deaths in a single day in the past year."

She noted that the recent Israeli strikes targeted temporary shelters where children and families were sleeping, adding, "This is yet another deadly reminder that there is no safe place in Gaza."

She noted that the attacks and the denial of humanitarian aid have increased the risks to children, and that 16 days have passed since the last truckload of humanitarian aid entered Gaza.

"Today, one million children in Gaza, who have suffered the pain of a war that has lasted for more than 15 months, have been pushed into a world of fear and death," she added.

"The attacks and violence must stop immediately," she continued, calling for a resumption of the ceasefire.

It also called on all parties to respect international humanitarian law, provide immediate humanitarian assistance, protect civilians, and release all hostages.

On Tuesday morning, Israel suddenly and violently intensified its genocidal crimes against Palestinians, launching massive airstrikes across most areas of the Gaza Strip and targeting civilians during the pre-dawn meal, leaving hundreds dead, wounded, and missing within hours.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that "404 martyrs and more than 562 injured, including very serious cases," had arrived at hospitals as of 10:00 a.m. GMT, and efforts were still underway to retrieve victims from under the rubble.

Today's attacks represent the largest violation of the fragile ceasefire agreement brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States last January.

In early March 2025, the first 42-day phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel, which began on January 19, concluded.

Benjamin Netanyahu's government is refusing to initiate the second phase of the agreement, seeking to release more Israeli prisoners without fulfilling the commitments of this phase, particularly ending the war of extermination and fully withdrawing from Gaza.

In return, Hamas affirms its commitment to implementing the agreement, demands that Israel abide by all its provisions, and calls on mediators to immediately begin negotiations for the second phase, which includes an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and a complete cessation of hostilities.

With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 160,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 14,000 missing.

(Anatolia)