326 children killed in Gaza as Israel 'slaughters' Palestinians

At least 326 Palestinian children in Gaza have been killed by Israel, the ministry of health has said, since Israel launched an ongoing bombardment of the besieged Palestinian enclave following attacks on Israeli villages by Hamas.

The Defense for Children Palestine (DCIP) said its workers had documented the killings of 105 Palestinian children in Gaza since Saturday, while the Gaza health ministry announced on Wednesday that over 326 children had been killed.

The children rights group said there was an "unprecedented rate of daily child fatalities" as a result of Israel's intensive bombardment throughout the Gaza Strip, which has so far killed at least 1,203 Palestinians and injured over 5,760 people.

"The lack of electricity and the Israeli airstrikes on telecommunications infrastructure has resulted in a lag between confirmed fatalities by DCIP and the overall total child fatalities published regularly by the Ministry of Health in Gaza," the group said.

"Israeli forces are destroying entire neighbourhoods in the Gaza Strip as an apparent full-scale ground assault is imminent."

"Immediate humanitarian relief is necessary to protect civilians as Israeli forces prepare to intensify attacks and Israeli officials declare their intention to commit further war crimes and crimes against humanity."

Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli government handed out even more weapons to Israeli settlers.

As a result, settlers accompanied by Israeli forces, fired live ammunition indiscriminately at Palestinians in Qusra, near Nablus, according to the DCIP.

The attack killed a 17-year-old Palestinian boy identified as Obada Sa'ed Awad Abu Srour, the DCIP said.

"Western powers in the United States and European Union have paved the way for the Israeli military to slaughter Palestinians in Gaza with no consequence," DCIP said.