The Executive Director of UNICEF, Catherine Russell, has denounced the “unconscionable killing” of children in Gaza, following the deaths of seven minors in an Israeli airstrike on a water distribution center in Deir al-Balah. The attack occurred while families were waiting for vital humanitarian aid, marking the second such incident in less than a week.

On July 10, another Israeli strike killed 15 Palestinians, including nine children and four women, as they queued for food supplies distributed by Project Hope, a UNICEF partner. At least 30 others were injured, 19 of them children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Among the victims was Mohammed, a one-year-old boy whose mother, Donia, was critically wounded and found clutching his tiny shoe. Another survivor, Reema, age 10, witnessed the deaths of multiple children during a separate attack on a nutrition center in the same city.

Russell called the incidents a “cruel reality” for Gaza’s families, emphasizing that no parent should have to face such tragedy. She urged Israel to review its rules of engagement and conduct a thorough, independent investigation, citing violations of international humanitarian law.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels. UNICEF reports that over 5,800 children were diagnosed with malnutrition in June alone, including more than 1,000 with severe acute malnutrition—a figure that has risen for four consecutive months.

The agency warns that 71,000 children and 17,000 mothers will require urgent treatment for acute malnutrition in the coming months. UNICEF’s stocks for preventing malnutrition have run out, and supplies for therapeutic treatment are critically low.

Fuel shortages have further crippled aid delivery, with hospitals, water systems, and bakeries on the brink of collapse. UN agencies warn that without consistent fuel access, lifesaving operations will cease, exposing 2.1 million people to deadly disease outbreaks and starvation.

UNICEF and WFP have called for an immediate ceasefire, the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid, and the protection of civilians, especially children. “Hunger and acute malnutrition are a daily reality for children across the Gaza Strip,” Russell stated. “We have repeatedly warned of this trajectory and call again on all parties to prevent a catastrophe”.

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