At least 322 children have died in Gaza in the last 10 days, UNICEF Alert

The resumption of bombings and land operations in the Gaza Strip have left at least 322 dead children and 609 wounded in the last ten days, UNICEF, the UN agency for childhood, denounced on Monday.

AFP

These figures include children who, according to the reports, died or were injured in the Department of Surgery of the Hospital al Nasser, in southern Gaza, which was reached in an attack on March 23.

Most of these children were displaced, refugees in improvised stores or in damaged homes, the organization said.

«Children have seen again in a cycle of violence and fatal deprivations,» denounced the organization’s executive director, Catherine Russell, in a statement.

Russell asked «all parties to fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect children.»

After almost 18 months of war, more than 15,000 children have died, more than 34,000 have been injured and almost one million have been repeatedly displaced and deprived of their right to basic services, UNICEF recalled.

«The resurgence of incessant and indiscriminate bombings, combined with the total blocking of supplies in the Gaza Strip for more than three weeks, has tested the humanitarian response and the civilian population of Gaza -especially its million children -«, the organization warned.

Israel resumed his offensive on the Palestinian territory on March 18 putting an end to a fragile truce, which had given the population for two months.

In addition to the cessation of hostilities, UNICEF requested that Israel allows the entry of humanitarian aid to the enclave – suspended since March 2 – and the evacuation of sick and injured children to receive medical care.

Without such help, food, drinking water and medical attention are scarce, which aggravates malnutrition and disease, the organization warned.

«It is necessary to protect the civilian population, including children and humanitarian workers, and the essential infrastructure that still remain, and free the hostages» in the hands of Hamas.

«The world should not remain impassive and allow the killing and suffering of children to continue,» he added.