May 14, 2026 | 06:25 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, condemned Israel's military operation in the Palestinian Authority's West Bank. The Zionist regime continues to attack the West Bank, a territory claimed by Israel. The assaults have been "escalating" each year, resulting in the deaths of 70 Palestinian children since the beginning of 2025."Children are paying an intolerable price for escalating military operations and settler attacks across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem," said James Elder, a spokesperson for UNICEF, citing a report from Al Arabiya.Elder stated that since the beginning of 2025, when Israel launched a large-scale military operation in the West Bank, at least one Palestinian child has been killed in the attacks. "On average every single week, there, adding that another 850 children had been injured during that period," Elder said.According to the UNICEF spokesperson, Israeli forces are responsible for 93 percent of the deaths of Palestinian children in the West Bank. He added that some of the casualties were caused by live ammunition."The scaled-up military operations had come amid historic levels of settler attacks," he said.The UN reported that this year, the number of Palestinian civilians injured due to Israeli settlers' arrogance is the highest in 20 years. Elder added that the Zionist authoritarian behavior is occurring amid the demolition of settlements in the West Bank, even though children need a safe space for their development.Violence experienced by Palestinian residents due to Israeli military and settlers includes beatings, stabbings, shootings, and pepper-spraying."Documented incidents include children shot, stabbed, children beaten and children pepper-sprayed," Elder said.According to Pakistan Today, the repressive actions of Tel Aviv have resulted in mass displacement, with an estimated 2,500 civilians and 1,100 in the first quarter of this year in the West Bank. "That surpasses the total displacement recorded in 2025."Concerns Regarding Displacement, Education, and DetentionThe UN agency also reported an increase in incidents affecting the education sector. According to UNICEF, through Elder, there have been 99 incidents related to education, turning schools, supposed to be safe spaces, into frightening places.Throughout 2026, he reported various violations frequently afflicting Palestinian children in the West Bank, including physical violence, detentions, and school demolitions as well as the closure of classroom access.These incidents have contributed to a climate of fear among Palestinian children. Additionally, Elder also highlighted the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the West Bank due to the destruction of water infrastructure by the Zionist army.The figures provided by UNICEF link the casualties and injuries of Palestinian children to broader disturbances across the West Bank.The agency's data indicates an increase in the number of Palestinian children detained by Israel, reaching 347 individuals. This figure is the highest in eight years, and half of them are held without formal charges under administrative detention procedures.Read: How EU Countries Responded to Sanctions on Israeli SettlersClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
