File Photo: Relatives carry the bodies of children from the Abu Quta family who were killed in Israeli strikes on the Palestinian city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, during their funeral. AFP
"Staggering. The number of children reported killed in just over 4 months in Gaza is higher than the number of children killed in 4 years of wars around the world combined," Philippe Lazzarini said on X, formerly Twitter.
His post referenced United Nations numbers showing that 12,193 children had been killed in conflicts worldwide between 2019 and 2022.
It compared that to reports from the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza indicating that more than 12,300 children died in the Palestinian territory between last October and the end of February.
"This war is a war on children. It is a war on their childhood and their future," Lazzarini said.
Israel's bombardment and ground offensive on Gaza since October 7 have killed 31,184 people and wounded nearly 75,000, 70 percent of them women and children, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
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