Israel killed and injured 500 children in Lebanon in 2024
From Gaza and Lebanon to the Democratic Republic of Congo, violence against children in conflict zones reached "unprecedented levels" in 2024, a United Nations annual report said Thursday.
The report calls out Israel's military operations in Lebanon, where more than 500 children were killed or injured last year.
"In 2024, violence against children in armed conflict reached unprecedented levels, with a staggering 25 percent surge in the number of grave violations in comparison with 2023," according to the report from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The report verified 41,370 grave violations against children in 2024 -- including 36,221 committed in 2024 and 5,149 committed previously but confirmed in 2024 -- the highest number since the monitoring tool was established nearly 30 years ago.
The new high beats 2023, another record year, which itself represented a 21 percent increase over the preceding year.
With more than 4,500 killed and 7,000 injured, children continue to bear "the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks," the report said.
There was also a marked increase in the number of child victims of multiple violations to 22,495.
"The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball -- but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings -- should keep all of us awake at night," said Virginia Gamba, special representative of the U.N. secretary-general for children and armed conflict.
"This must serve as a wake-up call. We are at the point of no return."
The Israeli armed forces, which were named last year along with Palestinian Hamas, remain on the "list of shame" calling out those responsible for the violations.
The Palestinian territories occupy the top spot in the dismal rankings, with more than 8,500 serious violations, the vast majority attributed to Israeli forces, including more than 4,800 in the Gaza Strip.
This figure includes confirmation of 1,259 Palestinian children killed in Gaza, and the U.N. notes it is currently verifying information on an additional 4,470 children killed in 2024 in the war-torn territory.
Also listed again is the Russian army for its actions in Ukraine, where the report records a 105 percent increase in serious violations between 2023 and 2024.
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