Palestinian child deaths by Israeli army triple in occupied West Bank: UN

​​​​​​​By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN on Thursday reported a "three-fold" surge in Israeli killing of Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank.

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric indicated at a news conference that "children are bearing the brunt of the worsening situation in the West Bank," and said that "since October 7th of last year, four Palestinian children have been killed every week on average in the West Bank – marking a three-fold increase compared to the first nine months of 2023."

He noted illegal Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank, adding that the violence continues to displace Palestinian children.

"Of the more than 1,700 Palestinians displaced by settler violence, intimidation and harassment in Bedouin and herding communities, nearly half were children," he said.

Over the past few years, the Israeli military has conducted regular raids in the occupied West Bank, which have escalated with the beginning of the onslaught in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023. Palestinians have also been violently attacked by illegal Israeli settlers.

Nearly 795 Palestinians have since been killed and more than 6,450 injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In July, the International Court of Justice issued a landmark advisory opinion that declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.