UN reports over 200 children killed by Israel in Lebanon in under two months

The United Nations has reported that more than 200 children have been killed in Lebanon over the past two months as violence between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies.

UNICEF spokesperson James Elder shared the alarming statistics during a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, emphasizing the lack of action to halt the escalating conflict.

#Lebanon: hundreds of children killed. #Gaza: tens of thousands of children killed & wounded.
Response from those with power to prevent the carnage: Zero pic.twitter.com/RpHEgJYpoS

— James Elder (@1james_elder) November 15, 2024

UNICEF raises alarm over child fatalities

Elder stated that the deaths of children in Lebanon are met with “inertia” from those in a position to intervene.

“Over the last two months in Lebanon, an average of three children have been killed every single day,” he said. More than 1,100 children have been injured, and countless others traumatized by the violence, according to Elder.

Impact on critical infrastructure

Elder highlighted attacks on essential infrastructure, including medical facilities, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

“Medical facilities are being attacked, and health workers are being killed at an increasing speed,” he said. Lebanese authorities have recorded over 200 health worker deaths and more than 300 injuries as of November 15.

Children face dire conditions

The U.N. noted parallels between the situation in Lebanon and Gaza, with hundreds of thousands of children displaced.

“In Lebanon, much the same as in Gaza, the intolerable is quietly transforming into the acceptable,” Elder said, describing the ongoing violence against children as slipping into normalcy.