The president of the UN Children's Agency has described the beleaguered Gaza Strip as "the most dangerous place in the world for children," claiming that the hard-won truce between Israel and Hamas is insufficient to safeguard their lives.
According to UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, over 5,300 children have been murdered in Gaza since Hamas' offensive on Israel on October 7, accounting for 40% of the dead, according to AFP.
"This is unprecedented," added Russell, who had recently returned from a trip to southern Gaza. "I am haunted by what I saw and heard."
Russell applauded Israel and Hamas's deal on Wednesday to release hostages and cease the intense fighting and bombardment in Gaza.
According to Israeli sources, over 240 persons, ranging from infants to the elderly, were seized during the October 7 onslaught by Hamas terrorists, which murdered approximately 1,200 people in Israel, the majority of them were civilians.
"This is unprecedented," added Russell, who had recently returned from a trip to southern Gaza. "I am haunted by what I saw and heard."
Russell believes that another 1,200 children are still missing or are buried beneath the rubble of the blasted buildings.
"In addition to the bombs, rockets and gunfire, children in Gaza are at extreme risk from the catastrophic living conditions," she said.
"One million children - or all the children in the territory - are now food insecure and facing what could soon become a catastrophic food crisis."
According to UNICEF, acute malnutrition among children in Gaza might rise by over 30% in the next months. /BGNES
