UNICEF Chief demands end to child killings after deadly israeli airstrike in Rafah
Catharine Russell, head of the UN’s children’s fund (UNICEF), has strongly condemned the Israeli airstrike on tents housing displaced people in Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip.
Russell expressed shock at the images of burned children and families emerging from bombed tents, emphasizing that the reported killing of children sheltering in makeshift tents is unconscionable.
The situation in Gaza has been unfolding tragically for over seven months, resulting in thousands of children killed or injured. Russell called for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and an end to the senseless killing of children.
On Sunday, Israel targeted a camp for displaced people and houses in Rafah, resulting in at least 35 deaths and dozens of injuries. The attack occurred near the logistics base of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in Tal al-Sultan, according to Gaza-based officials.
Despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has continued its brutal offensive against Gaza since October. The offensive has claimed the lives of at least 36,000 Palestinians, predominantly children and women, and left almost 80,000 others wounded. Large parts of Gaza now lie in ruins, exacerbated by a crippling blockade of essential resources such as food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel faces accusations of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has ordered Tel Aviv to prevent acts of genocide by its forces and ensure humanitarian assistance reaches civilians in Gaza. South Africa, which brought the case to the ICJ, alleges that Israel is disregarding the court’s orders. (ILKHA)