It has been a deadly weekend, said Unicef Director General Cathrine Russel in a statement on Saturday. In Jabalia, north of Gaza City, two residential buildings, where hundreds of people sought shelter, were razed to the ground.
According to the UN agency – which is focused on working for children’s protection, survival and development in, among other things, war-torn countries – over 50 children were killed in less than 48 hours in northern Gaza.
Lotta Sylwander, spokesperson at Unicef Sweden, tells SVT Nyheter that the deaths are mainly linked to Israeli attacks on civilian targets.
– There have been attacks on vaccination centers or places where children are vaccinated for polio right now. We consider this unacceptable.
During Saturday, several children were also injured in connection with an attack on a center for polio vaccination.
At least 25,000 children dead
Since the outbreak of war, Israel has claimed that it is taking measures to avoid harming the civilian population and civilian objects. At the same time, schools, hospitals and other healthcare facilities are being attacked in the past, citing the alleged presence of Hamas members there.
Sylwander has a little difficulty understanding that.
– During the entire war, at least 25,000 children have been killed. If you only focused on military targets, that wouldn’t be the case, she says.
– We now, on behalf of Unicef, call on all UN member states to exert pressure so that a ceasefire can be established.
“More could be done”
This weekend, a Unicef employee, who works with vaccinations, was also shot at while she was traveling in her car. She escaped unharmed. Unicef has called on Israel to immediately investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack, and demands that steps be taken to hold those responsible accountable.
Despite the calls for a long-term ceasefire, from Unicef as well as other organizations and countries, Lotta Sylwander sees no indications that the current situation in the Gaza Strip will change in the near future.
– Unfortunately, it seems rather to be getting worse, now that Israel has also banned Unwra, the largest UN organization that is active and works to provide support and protection to people in Gaza.
– But we believe that much more could be done, that many more voices could be raised to really put an end to this war.