At least 322 minors have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the Israeli military resumed its attacks two weeks ago, the UN children’s organization Unicef reported.
More than 600 others had been injured, Unicef said in a statement.”Most of these children were displaced, sheltering in makeshift tents or damaged homes,” it said.
“The resurgence of relentless and indiscriminate bombardments, combined with the complete block on supplies entering the Gaza Strip for more than three weeks, has put the humanitarian response under severe strain and Gaza’s civilians — especially its one million children — at grave risk,” Unicef said in the Monday statement.
It noted that no aid had been allowed into the Gaza Strip since March 2 with the result that food, safe water, shelter and medical care had become scarce.
“Without these essential supplies, malnutrition, diseases and other preventable conditions will likely surge, leading to an increase in preventable child deaths,” it said.
It called on the warring parties to reinstate the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military on Monday ordered residents of Rafah and nearby villages in southern Gaza to evacuate immediately, citing plans to resume operations “with great force” against the fighters in the area.
A map published with the announcement shows that most of Rafah is affected by the order. Residents were told to go to Al Mawasi, a sprawling and squalid series of encampments along Gaza’s south-west Mediterranean coast.
Al Mawasi was previously designated a “safe zone,” although Israeli forces have conducted strikes there to target what they describe as Hamas facilities.
Following a ceasefire that took effect on January 19, many internally displaced Gazans returned to their homes, or what was left of them. However, after negotiations to extend the truce collapsed in mid-March, Israel resumed large-scale attacks.
Since then, Israeli ground forces have launched operations against Hamas in Rafah, expanding the offensive to a second district on Saturday.
The military has stated that the offensive also aims to establish a buffer zone along Gaza’s borders.
— dpa
Israel’s military on Monday ordered residents of Rafah and nearby villages in southern Gaza to evacuate immediately, citing plans to resume operations “with great force”
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