Tom Fletcher, Head of Relief Affairs, described the pain caused by the attacks as “indescribable,” emphasizing on the anniversary of the events of October 7, 2023, that “civilians must be protected everywhere.” Fletcher noted that the war has since its inception resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians, while hundreds of thousands are suffering from hunger and continuous displacement.
In a statement on the platform X, Lazarini renewed his call for the immediate release of all Palestinian hostages and detainees, the imposition of an urgent truce, and the unobstructed and expanded flow of humanitarian aid. Lazarini stressed the need for accountability for the atrocities committed since October 7, 2023, affirming that “there is no way out of this chaos and abyss except by achieving justice.”
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that children in Gaza are facing unprecedented suffering due to Israel’s “excessive response,” with 61,000 children killed or seriously injured since October 2023, at a rate of one child every 17 minutes. Ricardo Pires, the organization’s representative, described these numbers as “shocking and unacceptable” during a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday.
He also noted that the organization has been prevented from bringing incubators and ventilators into the northern sector, stressing that children “desperately need them to survive,” and some are sharing oxygen masks to stay alive. UNICEF revealed that one in five children in Gaza is now born prematurely, often to mothers suffering from hunger and psychological stress.
Pires welcomed the peace plan proposed by US President Donald, which is being discussed in Egypt for the second day, describing it as “offering a glimmer of hope for civilians and children in Gaza for a better future.” Since October 7, 2023, until now, the war on Gaza has resulted in the death of more than 67,000 Palestinians and over 169,000 injured, according to data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
