Israeli forces have killed an average of at least one Palestinian child a week in the occupied West Bank since the start of 2025, a Unicef spokesperson said on Tuesday.
James Elder said 70 children had been killed since then, warning they were paying “an intolerable price for escalating militarised operations and settler attacks”.
A further 850 children have been wounded, with most injuries caused by live ammunition.
“All this comes amid historic levels of settler attacks,” Elder said, adding that documented assaults on children included pepper sprayings, beatings, stabbings and shootings.
Children are also increasingly at risk of arrest and detention by Israeli forces. At least 347 Palestinian children are being held in Israeli military detention over alleged security-related offences.
