We must protect Palestinian children from being killed | Letter

Your report (How children in West Bank are being killed by Israel ‘without accountability’, 29 June) resonated deeply. As the chief executive of Unicef UK, I have just returned from meeting Palestinian families and children across the West Bank – many of whom carried Unicef backpacks just like Mohammad al-Halaq in your report – who spoke of the rising fear and violence that have become part of their daily lives.

I have worked in humanitarian development for more than two decades, but nothing could have prepared me for what I witnessed there. In Hebron’s militarised H2 area, movement is heavily restricted, children must pass checkpoints to get to school and their usual route is permanently closed. A group of mothers I met described routine humiliation and intimidation. The streets were empty, people afraid to be outside.

Nearby, just days before my visit, a seven-month-old infant boy died after being shot by Israeli forces while sitting on his mother’s lap in the back of a car. He had not yet had the chance to take his first steps. These incidents are not isolated. Since January 2025, at least one Palestinian child has been killed on average every week in the West Bank.

For nine-year-old Mohammad, and the many other children who have lost their lives, and rights, as part of escalating violence, there must be global outrage and condemnation. We cannot allow this to become normalised.

Unicef calls on the Israeli authorities to take immediate and decisive action to protect Palestinian children in line with international law. We also call on UN member states with influence to use their leverage to ensure that children are protected and international law is respected.
Dr Philip Goodwin
Unicef UK