Black smoke billows into the sky following an Israeli airstrike on Jala Tower, which housed some foreign media outlets and residential apartments, in Gaza City, on May 15, 2021. (Xinhua/Rizek Abdeljawad)
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Henrietta Fore on Sunday renewed her call for an immediate end to the violence in Gaza and Israel.
She made the plea as the UN Security Council on Sunday met publicly for the first time to discuss the latest developments on the ground.
Over the past week, at least 55 children on the Palestinian side and two children on the Israeli side have been killed, she said in a statement.
"Fear and destruction are mounting on both sides. In Gaza, schools have been destroyed, homes and offices have been flattened, and entire families have been displaced. In Israel, schools, homes and buildings have also been damaged," she said.
Violence, killing and hatred must stop; international human rights law and international humanitarian law must be upheld; civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected; and the only solution is a diplomatic solution -- for the sake of all children and their future, said Fore.
