Beirut, Lebanon. An average of 11 children have been killed or injured every 24 hours in Lebanon in the last week as Israel expanded strikes across the country despite a ceasefire being in place.
Strikes continue
Heavy Israeli strikes hit towns and villages in southern Lebanon overnight on Wednesday and into Thursday after Israel declared a new swathe of the area “a combat zone”. On Thursday, an Israeli strike hit a building in the southern suburbs of Beirut amid a ceasefire that has not halted fighting between Israeli troops and Hezbollah in south Lebanon.
UNICEF figures
UNICEF said a total of 77 children had been killed or injured in the past seven days. Since the ceasefire began in April, 55 children have been killed and 212 injured, according to the agency.
Agency response
UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires described the toll as “staggering”.
Ceasefire context
The ceasefire announced by Washington on April 16 was intended to halt the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah that has been raging since March 2.