UNICEF chief calls for 'end to senseless killing of children' in Rafah

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - Head of the UN’s children's fund (UNICEF) on Monday demanded an "end to the senseless killing of children" following the Israeli airstrike on tents housing displaced people in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza Strip.

"Images of burned children and families emerging from bombed tents in Rafah shocks us all. The reported killing of children sheltering in makeshift tents is unconscionable," Catharine Russell wrote on X.

Underscoring the severity of the situation, Russell said: "For over 7 months, we've witnessed this tragedy unfold, resulting in thousands of children killed or injured."

She further called for "an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and an end to the senseless killing of children."

At least 35 people were killed and dozens injured as Israel targeted a camp for displaced people and houses in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Sunday, said medical sources and officials.

The attack occurred near the logistics base of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in Tal al-Sultan, said the Gaza-based Government Media Office.

Israel has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

The military campaign has turned much of the enclave of 2.3 million people into ruins, leaving most civilians homeless and at risk of famine.

The attack came despite a ruling by the International Court of Justice that ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.