UN Reports 70 Palestinian Children Killed in West Bank Since Jan 2025

United Nations agencies reported Tuesday that Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip face escalating violence from Israeli forces and settlers, with at least 70 children killed and 850 injured in the West Bank since January 2025.

UNICEF spokesperson James Elder, speaking in Geneva after a recent West Bank visit, described the deaths as averaging one per week. Most injuries and fatalities resulted from live ammunition, alongside documented cases of stabbings, beatings and pepper spray use. "We're seeing attacks become increasingly coordinated," Elder said.

The agency highlighted a sharp rise in settler violence, noting March 2026 recorded the highest number of Palestinian injuries from such incidents in at least 20 years. Israeli forces bear responsibility for the majority of child deaths, according to UNICEF, with 93 of those killed since January attributed to them.

Education has also come under pressure, with 99 disruptions reported this year alone, including student killings, injuries, detentions and school demolitions. "Schools, which should be places of safety and stability, are increasingly becoming places of panic," Elder said. He recounted walking...