More children have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since October than have died in every global conflict between 2019 and 2022 combined, according to figures released by the UN on Tuesday.
Over 12,300 children have been reported killed in the Palestinian enclave since that time, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) chief Philippe Lazzarini said, citing data from the UN and Gaza's health ministry. Children account for almost half of the total death toll, which now exceeds 31,000.
Between the start of 2019 and the end of 2022, 12,193 children were killed in all armed conflicts globally, according to the figures.
"This war is a war on children. It is a war on their childhood and their future," Lazzarini said, calling for an immediate ceasefire "for the sake of children in Gaza."
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