Gaza City-bound UN aid convoy comes under Israeli fire, says UNRWA

“Heavy shooting from the Israeli Forces at a UN convoy heading to Gaza City. While there are no casualties, our teams had to duck and take cover” in the incident on Sunday, according to the head of UNRWA, Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, in a post on X, which called for the perpetrators to be held accountable.

One armoured vehicle was hit by “at least five bullets” while waiting just ahead of the Israeli Forces’ checkpoint south of Wadi Gaza, which divides the north and south of the enclave, he noted.

“The car was severely damaged, it left the convoy. The teams re-assembled and finally reached Gaza City,” said Mr. Lazzarini, adding that the mission had been “coordinated and approved” by the Israeli Authorities “like all other similar UN movements”.

New evacuation orders impact Khan Younis

The development came as further Israeli airstrikes and heavy artillery continued to hit targets in villages east of Gaza’s Khan Younis. New evacuation orders by the Israeli military have been issued to people sheltering in areas that it had previously designated as a “safe” humanitarian area west of Khan Younis, where some 400,000 people are believed to be sheltering, according to local authorities.

Media reports citing the Israeli military have indicated that it would be dangerous to stay in these areas as it intended to respond to attacks launched against it from there.

According to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, about nine in 10 people in Gaza have been displaced at least once since last October.

Many live in appalling conditions, the UN agency warned, amid “surging” infectious diseases. It cited the UN health agency, WHO, which reported that from 7 October to 7 July, nearly one million cases of acute respiratory infections have been recorded.

“Nearly 575,000 cases of acute watery diarrhea and more than 100,000 cases of jaundice have also been documented”, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in an update, although the real number of infections is likely far higher.

West Bank uptick in child killings

Meanwhile in the occupied West Bank, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Monday that the killing of youngsters more than tripled since 7 October, compared to the first nine months of 2023, with one Palestinian youngster dying every two days, on average.

The UN agency said that 143 Palestinian children have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel sparked the war in Gaza, compared with 41 Palestinian children killed from January to September 2023.

Two Israeli children were also killed in the West Bank in conflict-related violence during the same period, UNICEF said, adding that more than 440 Palestinian children have also been injured with live ammunition.

“For years now, children living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have been exposed to horrific violence,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “The situation has deteriorated significantly, coinciding with the escalation of hostilities inside Gaza. We are seeing frequent allegations of Palestinian children being detained on their way home from school or shot while walking on the streets. The violence needs to stop now.”

Living in fear every day

Child casualties have been reported in 10 out of 11 governorates in the occupied West Bank; more than half of the killings were in Jenin, Tulkarm and Nablus. “These areas have seen an increase in large and militarized law enforcement operations over the past two years, indicating a shift in intensity and scope,” UNICEF explained.

“The increasing tensions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are also impacting the physical and mental well-being of thousands of children and families, who are now living in daily fear for their lives. Children report being scared to walk around their neighbourhoods or to travel to school.”

Prior to 7 October 2023, children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, were already exposed to the highest levels of violence in 20 years, UNICEF maintained, with 41 Palestinian children and six Israeli children killed in the first nine months of last year. They have also been heavily affected by movement and access restrictions that disrupted their daily lives.

UNICEF renewed its call for parties to immediately end and prevent further grave violations against children, including the killing and maiming of children. Parties must adhere to their obligations under international law to protect children. Children’s right to life must be upheld and children should never be the target of violence, no matter who or where they are.

“The true cost of the violence in the State of Palestine and Israel will be measured in children’s lives, those lost and those forever changed by it,” said Ms. Russell. “What the children desperately need is an end to violence and a lasting political solution to the crisis, so that they can reach their fullest potential in peace and safety.”