U.N. says over 200 children killed in Lebanon in under two months

Over 200 children killed in Lebanon in less than two months due to escalating violence, met with global inertia.

The U.N. said Tuesday (November 19, 2024) that over 200 children have been killed in Lebanon in the less than two months since Israel escalated its attacks targeting Hezbollah.

"Despite more than 200 children killed in Lebanon in less than two months, a disconcerting pattern has emerged: their deaths are met with inertia from those able to stop this violence," James Elder, spokesman for the UN children's agency, UNICEF, told reporters in Geneva.

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"Over the last two months in Lebanon, an average of three children have been killed every single day," he said.

"Many, many more have been injured and traumatised," he added, highlighting that in the past two months, more than 1,100 children had been hurt in the violence.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel in October last year in support of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.

Since September, Israel has conducted extensive bombing campaigns in Lebanon primarily targeting Hezbollah strongholds, though some strikes have hit areas outside the Iran-backed group's control.