244 Palestinian Children Martyred in the West Bank Since October 2023

TEHRAN (Defapress) - According to Anadolu Agency, Palestinian human rights activist Ayed Abu Eqtaish said on Sunday: The number of children who have been martyred by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, including East occupied Quds, since October 2023 has reached 244.

In an interview with Anadolu Agency, he stated that the lack of accountability and the inconclusiveness of investigations have made it easier for Israeli soldiers to shoot Palestinian children.

Referring to the number of victims, Abu Eqtaish said: From October to the end of 2023, 81 Palestinian children were martyred in the West Bank; a figure that, according to him, means that one child was killed every day during that period.

He added: In 2024, another 93 Palestinian children lost their lives, and since the beginning of 2025, 70 Palestinian children have been martyred; an average of one child per week.

The human rights activist emphasized that Israeli forces, in many cases, not only shoot at children, but also prevent ambulances and families from reaching the wounded to assist; an issue that, according to him, shows that the purpose of these shootings is to kill, not to contain the danger.

Meanwhile, UNICEF spokesman James Elder announced on May 13: Palestinian children are paying a heavy price as a result of the escalation of military operations and settler attacks across the occupied West Bank.

He said that from January 2025 to May 13, 70 Palestinian children have been martyred, 93 percent of whom died as a result of Israeli forces’ shooting.

Abu Qutish also pointed out that Israeli authorities do not conduct serious investigations into the killing of Palestinian children, and even in the few cases where a case is opened, no soldier is convicted of these crimes.

According to him, this situation shows that the issue is not only related to the individual behavior of soldiers, but also to the instructions and rules of shooting.

He also warned, referring to the situation of Palestinian children in the West Bank, that their right to education is also severely violated and their daily commute to schools has become a "dangerous journey" because schools and the routes leading to them have repeatedly been targeted by the Israeli army or settlers.

He added that in addition to the risk of being killed, Palestinian children also face detention, torture, and ill-treatment during interrogations, and a significant portion of them are held under administrative detention, that is, without being charged.

According to official Palestinian statistics, since the start of the Gaza War on October 8, 2023, attacks by the Israeli army and settlers in the West Bank have resulted in the martyrdom of 1,162 Palestinians, the injury of about 12,245 people, and the arrest of nearly 23,000 people.