Israeli Killing of West Bank Children Hits 'Unprecedented Levels' in 2023

More Palestinian children were killed by Israeli forces in the illegally occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in 2023 than in any previous recorded year, the United Nations Children's Fund announced on Thursday.

According to the agency, Israeli occupation forces have killed 124 Palestinian minors in the West Bank and East Jerusalem this year. That's nearly four times the previous record of 36 children killed there in 2022. UNICEF also said that at least 576 Palestinian children were wounded in the occupied territories this year.

"This year has been the deadliest year on record for children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem," Adele Khodr, UNICEF's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement noting the "unprecedented levels" of child deaths.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said earlier this month that at least 505 Palestinians of all ages have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem this year, making 2023 the deadliest year on record in the occupied territories. Al Jazeera has published a list with their names, ages, and photos.

The youngest West Bank child killed in 2023 was Muhammad Tamimi, a 2-year-old toddler who was shot in the head by an Israeli soldier outside his family's home in Nabi Saleh village near Ramallah in June. As they so often do after killing Palestinians, Israeli officials initially denied shooting Tamimi and his civilian father, who was seriously wounded.

Eighty-three of this year's child victims were slain after the October 7 attacks on Israel led by Hamas militants.

"Children living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have been experiencing grinding violence for many years, yet the intensity of that violence has dramatically increased since the horrific attacks of October 7," Khodr said, also noting the six Israeli children killed by West Bank and East Jerusalem-based Palestinian militants in 2023.

"As the world watches on in horror at the situation in the Gaza Strip, children in the West Bank are experiencing a nightmare of their own," Khodr noted, referencing the genocidal assault on the besieged enclave in which at least 8,663 children are among the more than 21,500 people killed by Israeli bombs and bullets, according to Palestinian officials.

"Living with a near-constant feeling of fear and grief is, sadly, all too common for children affected," she said. "Many children report that fear has become a part of their daily life, with many scared even walking to school or playing outside due to the threat of shootings and other conflict-related violence."

Khodr continued:

Grave violations against children, in particular killing and maiming, are unacceptable. UNICEF urges all parties to abide by their obligations under international human rights law and to protect children from conflict-related violence and protect their most basic right simply to be alive. Children should never be the target of violence, no matter who or where they are. An end to recurring violence is the best way to ensure children can grow up in peace and safety.

"The suffering of children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, must not fade into the background of the current conflict—it is part of it," she added.