The Gaza Health Ministry reported a staggering toll of 22,835 Palestinians killed, including 9,600 children, since the commencement of the conflict, according to Al Jazeera.
The ministry disclosed that 113 Palestinians lost their lives and 250 sustained injuries over the weekend alone.
The spokesperson for Palestinian Civil Defence in Gaza expressed grave concerns, stating that over 8,000 Palestinians are missing and presumed buried under collapsed buildings. Tens of thousands are displaced, adding to the humanitarian crisis in the region.
The actual figures are feared to be higher, as Gaza authorities struggle to update casualty numbers due to a collapsed health system since November.
Israeli media reported a tragic incident where a three-year-old Palestinian child died during what Israeli authorities labeled a car-ramming attack near the Givat Ze’ev settlement in the occupied West Bank. Conflicting reports emerged, with Israeli police claiming the child was shot by border police officers, while others suggested the toddler was accidentally shot and killed.
Save the Children, an advocacy group, highlighted the dire situation, noting that more than 10 children lose limbs daily in Gaza. UNICEF reported that since October 7, over 1,000 children have undergone amputations, emphasizing the disproportionate impact on children in the conflict.
In response to the escalating violence, the Catholic Bishop of Yola Diocese, Reverend Doctor Stephen Dami Mamza, voiced his concerns during an event at the Holy Childhood Association.
Bishop Mamza condemned the killing of innocent children and women not involved in the conflict. The conflict, ongoing since October 7, 2023, has claimed over eight thousand innocent lives, prompting the bishop to call for an end to the violence.