Israeli strikes kill more than 100 children in Lebanon over 11 days

Israeli aggression and air strikes on Lebanon have killed over 100 children in the last 11 days, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced this week.

The report from UNICEF added that around 690 children have been reported wounded in the last six weeks of the Israeli onslaught.

The organisation said it was working to provide emergency humanitarian relief and medical supplies to affected areas and communities in the country.

Imran Riza, the UN deputy special coordinator and humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon said the humanitarian crisis in the country is escalating daily, and since the start of the Israeli escalation on 23 September, conflict-related deaths have increased by more than 200 percent.

Riza also highlighted that health systems and centres have suffered from repeated attacks.

"Health workers are paying the heaviest price with their lives. The health system is on the brink of collapsing," he wrote in a post on X.

A statement from Riza also called on support from the Arab and international communities, stating it is more critical than ever to leverage diplomacy to protect health workers and civilians, and establish a ceasefire.

According to the World Health Organisation, at least 77 health workers have been killed in Lebanon from 8 October last year to 4 October 2024, with 28 of them being in a 24-hour period from 2 to 3 October.

Since 23 September, Israel expanded its war on Lebanon from the south to various other regions, including the capital, Beirut, and the north near Tripoli.

Around 1,900 people have been killed by Israel in Lebanon since October 2023, with the majority in recent weeks.

Israel’s bombardment of the country has displaced around 1.2 million people, as people scramble to flee the south, the eastern Bekaa Valley and the capital Beirut.

Leading humanitarian and human rights organisations have called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon as Israel continues to wage its expanding war in the region.