The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman says the Israeli regime’s longtime aggression and incessant strikes on the Gaza Strip have turned the besieged territory into a graveyard for Palestinian children.
Esmaeil Baghaei made the remark in a post on his X social media account as he remembered November 20th, which marks World Children's Day and is celebrated across the globe with the aim of promoting children's welfare, protecting vulnerable children and advocating children's rights.
“World Children's Day, highlights the right of all children to live in peace and security. This is an occasion to see the suffering of the children in Gaza,” Baghaei said.
“Under relentless bombardment, Gaza has become a graveyard for kids. Over 17,000 Palestinian children have been slaughtered, thousands are missing, tens of thousands are injured, with over a thousand amputations often performed without anesthesia, more than 35,000 lost one or both parents, many lost entire families,” he added.
20th November, World #Children's Day, highlights the right of all children to live in peace and security. This is an occasion to see the suffering of the children in #Gaza.
— Esmaeil Baghaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) November 19, 2024
Under relentless bombardment, Gaza has become a graveyard for kids. Over 17,000 Palestinian children have… pic.twitter.com/G38uJIdVTh
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman pointed to the hundreds of Palestinian children kidnapped by the Israeli regime in Gaza over the past year as well as thousands of others who have died of hanger.
“As UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese declared, up to 700 Palestinian children per annum have been kidnapped and held hostages for decades. Malnutrition has claimed 3,500 children, countless others suffer from hunger, disease, and displacement, and lack of basic living necessities,” Baghaei said.
The spokesman also underlined, “These are deep wounds on the conscience of humanity. It is high time that the world stopped impunity for the atrocious crimes against Palestinian children.”
On Tuesday, the Palestinian Civil Defense said more than 70,000 people are currently at risk of starvation and deadly thirst if they survive the regime’s intense bombardment of Palestinian towns in northern Gaza.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also confirmed that over 65,000 people are suffering inhumane conditions in the northern towns of the Gaza Strip.
Israel launched the war on the coastal territory on October 7 last year, after Palestinian resistance groups carried out a surprise retaliatory operation into the occupied territories.
So far, Israel has killed at least 43,972 Palestinians, most of them women, children, and adolescents, and injured more than 104,000 others.