Israeli airstrikes over the past 48 hours in Jabalia, Gaza, have claimed the lives of 50 children. Medical authorities in Gaza report that despite previous agreements, a drone attacked a clinic used for polio vaccinations just minutes after a UN delegation had left the facility.
According to Kolbarnews, citing Gaza medical sources, Israeli airstrikes on Sunday, November 3, killed 23 people, including 13 in northern Gaza. The Palestinian news agency WAFA also reported that on Sunday morning, at least nine Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes targeting homes in Jabalia, Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, and the city of Rafah in the south.
UNICEF confirmed in its latest report that 50 children were killed in the recent Israeli attacks on Jabalia. Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s executive director, described the situation as “another dark chapter in one of the darkest periods of this horrific war,” following the deaths of over 50 children, the bombing of the polio vaccination clinic, and an attack on a UNICEF staff member. She stated, “The targeting of civilians, including humanitarian workers, and attacks on the few remaining civilian facilities in Gaza must end. The entire population of northern Gaza, especially children, faces an imminent threat of death from disease, starvation, and constant bombardment.”
Russell urged Israel to investigate the attack on UNICEF staff and called on UN members to leverage their influence to ensure respect for international law in Gaza, saying, “It is time for this war to end.”
Rachel Cummings, a health specialist at Save the Children, expressed deep concern over the deaths of 50 children in just 48 hours, calling it a stark reflection of “the intensity of this conflict and war on children.” Speaking from Deir al-Balah, she told Al Jazeera that the Israeli attack on the polio vaccination center on Saturday would have a “ripple effect” on mothers’ confidence in the safety of vaccinations for their children.
Cummings further noted that 20,000 children in Gaza have been reported missing or left unaccompanied in the past year, while 14,000 more have been killed. Without formal schooling, amidst constant displacement and living under bombardment, she said, “A sense of normalcy and stability has been stolen from these children. Many have been forced to take on roles within their families that are inappropriate for their age, becoming caregivers, fetching water, and searching for food.”
She emphasized, “These children have witnessed things no child should ever see.”
