In a recent report, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) revealed that since October 7, 2023, a total of 372 Palestinians, including 94 children, have tragically lost their lives in conflict-related incidents throughout the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
According to the OCHA report, the grim statistics also include nearly 4,400 Palestinians, with 661 of them being children, who have sustained injuries during this period.
Moreover, between October 7, 2023, and February 1, 2024, a disheartening 756 Palestinians, including 313 children, found themselves displaced as a result of 119 homes being destroyed during Israeli military operations within the West Bank.
The tensions in the Middle East escalated on October 7, 2023, following a surprise attack by militants affiliated with the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian movement, Hamas.
The attack targeted Israeli territory, resulting in casualties among residents of Israeli border settlements and the abduction of over 240 hostages, including women, children, and the elderly.
Hamas claimed that its actions were a response to perceived Israeli provocations against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City.
In retaliation, Israel imposed a complete blockade on the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians before the crisis, and initiated airstrikes on Gaza, as well as certain regions of Lebanon and Syria. Additionally, clashes were reported in the West Bank.
The situation remains highly sensitive and continues to demand international attention and efforts towards finding a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict.