UNICEF Calls for Ceasefire in Gaza as Death Toll Exceeds 19,600

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has stated that without a humanitarian ceasefire, diseases could claim more children's lives in Gaza than the ongoing bombardments.

This was announced by UNICEF spokesperson James Elder during a press briefing in Geneva. Elder reported that in the last 48 hours, the only fully operational hospital has been shelled twice.

Due to the lack of sanitary conditions, water shortages, and homelessness, over 100,000 children are suffering from diarrhea, and more than 150,000 are affected by acute respiratory illnesses.

“Without sufficient access to safe water, food, and sanitation, which can only be guaranteed by a humanitarian ceasefire, deaths of children due to diseases could surpass the number of fatalities caused by the bombardments,” said James Elder.