A grim picture emerges from the occupied West Bank as UNICEF reports a sharp escalation in violence against children. At least 70 children have been killed since January 2025-one every week-and 850 more have been wounded, mostly by live ammunition.
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told reporters in Geneva that “attacks are becoming increasingly coordinated.” He described cases of children being shot, stabbed, beaten, and pepper-sprayed. March 2026 saw the highest number of Palestinians injured by settler attacks in two decades.
During a recent visit, Elder met an eight-year-old boy beaten with a wooden club in a settler attack, resulting in head injuries. The boy’s mother suffered two broken arms protecting her four-month-old baby.
Educational institutions are no longer safe havens. Schools are being demolished, students killed, injured, or detained. Elder recounted walking with children who avoided walking in a straight line, constantly looking over their shoulders. “It’s become a walk through fear,” he said.
Detention of Palestinian children has hit an eight-year high: 347 minors are held in Israeli military custody for alleged security offenses. Over half-180 children-are under administrative detention, meaning they can be held without regular access to legal counsel or the right to challenge their detention.
In Gaza, the situation remains dire. Since the October 2025 ceasefire, 229 children have been killed and 260 injured. Dr. Reinhilde Van de Weerdt, WHO’s representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, reported that 10,000 children live with life-altering injuries. Over 43,000 people have suffered severe trauma affecting limbs, spinal cord, or brain.
More than 2,200 people have had a limb amputated, yet fewer than 25% have received permanent prosthetics. Eighteen shipments of wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs remain pending clearance, with delays ranging from 130 days to over a year. No rehabilitation facilities are operational in the enclave.
“Every day that rehabilitation services remain under-resourced is a day that preventable disability becomes permanent,” Dr. Van de Weerdt warned.