Eleven children have been killed or injured on average every 24 hours in Lebanon over the last week, the U.N.’s children’s agency said on Friday, as Israel has expanded strikes across the country despite a ceasefire.
Heavy Israeli strikes hit towns and villages in southern Lebanon overnight on Wednesday and into Thursday, after Israel declared a new swathe of the area a combat zone. It also struck a building in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Thursday.
A total of 77 children have been killed or injured in the last seven days, UNICEF said, citing figures provided by Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health. Since the ceasefire began on April 16, 55 children have been killed and 212 injured, according to the agency. UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires called for all parties to fully respect the ceasefire. “Under international humanitarian law, children and civilian infrastructure must be protected,” he said.