Children in Gaza continue to bear a significant toll amid the ongoing conflict, with reports indicating that one child is killed or injured every ten minutes. Tess Ingram, a communications specialist for UNICEF who recently returned from a two-week mission in Gaza, highlighted the severe impact of violence on young lives during a United Nations briefing held in Geneva on Tuesday.

Since the outbreak of hostilities on October 7, 2023, more than 12,000 children in Gaza have been reported injured, a figure that Ingram described as likely a conservative estimate. She noted that on average, at least 70 children sustain injuries daily, many of whom face prolonged suffering due to limited access to adequate medical care. The scarcity of medical evacuations further complicates efforts to provide timely treatment for the wounded.

Describing the experiences of children caught in the conflict, Ingram recounted incidents involving severe trauma and injury resulting from airstrikes and armed clashes. She emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire, stating that the high frequency of casualties among children illustrates the devastating human costs of continued fighting.

Ingram also shared a harrowing example of a child's ordeal involving extreme physical and psychological trauma. The child was reportedly strip-searched and detained for hours before being told it was safe to leave. Shortly after, the child’s father was killed, and the child sustained critical injuries from gunfire, including a serious wound to the pelvis requiring reconstructive surgery.

UNICEF’s assessment underscores the broader consequences of the conflict on Gaza’s youngest residents, calling for increased humanitarian access and medical support to address the urgent needs of injured children. The agency’s appeal for a ceasefire reflects growing international concern over the well-being of civilians amid the protracted violence.