UNICEF said at least 70 Palestinian children have been killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the start of 2025, with the toll averaging about one child a week. [1, 2, 3]
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said 93% of the children were killed by Israeli forces. He said the deaths are part of a sustained pattern of violations against children and urged Israeli authorities to act in line with international law. [1, 2, 3]
The agency said more than 800 children were injured in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, while an Anadolu report said UNICEF put the figure at 850, with most hurt by live ammunition. UNICEF said most injured children were hit by live ammunition, while some were stabbed, beaten or pepper-sprayed. [1, 3]
Elder said after a visit to the West Bank last week that the scale of the harm was severe. “These are not isolated incidents. They point to a sustained pattern of the worst kind of violation - violations against children,” he said. [1]
Anadolu also reported that UNICEF warned of rising displacement, education-related incidents, damage to water infrastructure and child detentions in 2026. It said more than 2,500 Palestinian children were displaced in the first four months of the year, including 1,100 children, and 347 West Bank children were in Israeli military detention. [3]
Elder also said, “Children are paying an intolerable price for escalating militarised operations,” and added, “Schools, which should be places of safety and stability, are increasingly becoming sites of fear.” [3]
The reports were published on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, from Geneva. [1, 3]
