UN just revealed that Israel has killed one child killed every hour for nearly two years

The UN assistant secretary general for humanitarian affairs, Tom Fletcher, expressed his helplessness in the face of what he described as the “horrors” of the situation in the Gaza Strip, sharply criticising the lack of action by those capable of putting an end to Israel’s genocide, according to Agence France-Presse.

Fletcher’s remarks came during a meeting dedicated to discussing the situation of Palestinian children in the besieged enclave, organised by Belgium and Jordan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Israel killing one child every hour in Gaza – for nearly two whole years

The UN official said:

We meet again to share our testimony and express our shame, trying to find words to describe the horror and emphasize the need for action, but I fear that in the end we will accept doing nothing.

He explained that “a child has been killed in Gaza almost every hour for nearly two years”, noting that:

the luckiest children sleep in tents, while schools have been turned into places of terror, depriving more than 700,000 children of their right to education.

He added:

We are constantly told that what is happening is the price the population must pay for war.

And he warned that:

historians and lawyers will long debate the legal characterization of these crimes, and despite the ban on international journalists, there will be enough evidence to bring justice.

International meetings ‘repeated to count the dead’ with no concrete action

Fletcher emphasised that:

our words will not reach the children under the rubble, or those searching for food amid the debris, or undergoing amputations without anesthesia.

He stressed that appeals fall on deaf ears among those who have the power to stop these “unforgettable atrocities in the 21st century”. He expressed his fear that:

international meetings will only be repeated to count the dead and repeat calls, without any concrete action.

Crucially, he asked:

How many more lives will be lost, and how much more damage will we inflict on our shared humanity?

Condemnation not translating into practical results

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Israel’s genocide, which has been going on for nearly two years, has claimed the lives of more than 65,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians. This includes more than 19,000 children, according to UNICEF deputy executive director Ted Sheiban.

Gaza has been under a tight Israeli blockade for 18 years, leading to a catastrophic deterioration in humanitarian conditions, with hospitals suffering from a shortage of medicines and fuel, while the population faces a severe food crisis.

Despite repeated condemnations from the UN and international human rights organisations, political efforts to end the siege and lift the blockade have yet to translate into practical results.

Feature image via Al Jazeera English/Youtube.