UN says '1 child dies every hour in Gaza' as Israeli strikes kill 21 people

The United Nations on Tuesday said that the humanitarian crisis is so grave in Gaza that one child gets killed every hour.

Since the start of the war in October 2023, 14,500 Palestinian children have lost their lives, according to Unicef figures. The UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which has been banned from operating in Gaza, said in a post on X, “One child gets killed every hour. These are not numbers. These are lives cut short. Killing children cannot be justified. Those who survive are scarred physically and emotionally.”

“Deprived of learning, boys & girls in Gaza sift through the rubble. The clock is ticking for these children. They are losing their lives, their futures & mostly their hope,” it added.

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No place for children.
Since the beginning of the war 14,500 children have been reported killed in #Gaza according to @UNICEF. One child gets killed every hour. These are not numbers. These are lives cut short.

Killing children cannot be justified. Those who survive are scarred… pic.twitter.com/7sXIQLRXQP

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) December 24, 2024

21 people killed in Gaza

Meanwhile, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Tuesday that 21 people had been killed in the Palestinian territory in the past 24 hours, taking the overall war death toll to 45,338.

The ministry also said in a statement that at least 107,764 people have been wounded in more than 14 months of war between Israel and Hamas, triggered by the Palestinian group’s October 7, 2023 attack.

Netanyahu says ‘some progress’ in truce deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told lawmakers on Monday that “some progress” had been made in negotiations to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza, more than 14 months into the war.

His comments in parliament came two days after Palestinian militant groups also talked of progress towards a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

“Everything we are doing cannot be disclosed. We are taking actions to bring them back. I wish to say cautiously that there has been some progress, and we will not stop acting until we bring them all home,” Netanyahu said in parliament

With inputs from AFP