By Ahmed J Versi
At least 200 children have been killed in Lebanon since March 2 as a result of ongoing Israeli attacks, according to UNICEF.
In a statement released Thursday, the UN agency warned that children in Lebanon “continue to be at the sharp end of ongoing violence, displacement and exposure to traumatic events.”
Despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect on April 17, UNICEF said at least 59 children were killed or injured in the past week alone. Since the ceasefire began, 23 children have reportedly been killed and 93 injured.
Overall, the agency says 200 children have been killed and 806 wounded since March 2 — the equivalent of nearly 14 children killed or injured every day.
“Children are being killed and injured when they should be returning to classrooms, playing with friends, and recovering from months of fear and upheaval,” UNICEF stated.
The agency also warned that nearly 770,000 children in Lebanon are experiencing severe psychological distress due to repeated exposure to violence, displacement, and loss. Without adequate mental health and psychosocial support, UNICEF said many face the risk of chronic or lifelong trauma.
Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said the situation demonstrates the collapse of hopes tied to the ceasefire.
“Nearly a month ago, an agreement was reached to silence the weapons and stop the violence. Reality is proving to be very different,” he said.
According to Lebanese officials, Israeli attacks since March 2 have killed more than 2,896 people, wounded over 8,824, and displaced more than 1.6 million — roughly one-fifth of Lebanon’s population.
New Israeli airstrikes hit southern Lebanon
Israeli airstrikes continued across southern Lebanon on Thursday ahead of a new round of US-mediated talks between Beirut and Tel Aviv.
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that an Israeli warplane struck the Ezzedine residential complex in the town of Srifa in Tyre district, killing two people after the building was completely destroyed.
In a separate attack, one person was injured in a drone strike between the towns of Breqaa and Zrariyeh in Nabatieh governorate.
Israeli warplanes also targeted Ain al-Tineh, Yahmar, Loubaya and Sohmor in the western Bekaa region. Casualty figures from those strikes were not immediately available.
Israel also reportedly bombed a medical center in Qsaibeh in southern Lebanon.
The strikes came as Lebanese and Israeli officials prepared for a third round of US-mediated negotiations in Washington following previous meetings on April 14 and April 23, viewed as preliminary steps toward possible peace talks.
Despite the April 17 ceasefire — later extended until May 17 — Israeli strikes and exchanges of fire with Hezbollah have continued on a near-daily basis.
Award-winning Lebanese journalist Hala Jaber described the emotional toll of documenting the conflict:
“It’s becoming harder and harder to report on Israel’s war on Lebanon when your timeline starts to feel less like news coverage and more like a daily obituary for your own people.
“Children. Women. Fathers. Entire families. Medics. Obliterated villages and towns.
“The killings are relentless.”
Meanwhile, US Ambassador Michael Issa reportedly stated that Israel would not withdraw from villages it occupies in southern Lebanon even if negotiations or security agreements are reached.
Russia, Iran discuss regional escalation at BRICS Summit
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held meetings Thursday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Brazilian officials on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, discussions focused on escalating Middle East tensions and ongoing negotiations involving the US, Israel, and Iran.
Moscow emphasized the importance of preserving the current ceasefire framework and preventing further disruption to diplomatic efforts aimed at long-term regional normalization.
Araghchi also accused the United Arab Emirates of aligning too closely with Israel, claiming the UAE had failed to condemn US-Israeli attacks against Iran and had allowed its territory to be used for military operations targeting Tehran.
The UAE had not publicly responded to the accusations as of Thursday evening.
Reports surface of alleged Israeli base inside Iraq
According to MintPress News, Iraqi shepherd Awad Al-Shammari was found dead after allegedly reporting the existence of a covert Israeli military base inside Iraq.
The report claims the base was used during the conflict with Iran to coordinate strikes and represented a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.
No independent confirmation has emerged regarding either the existence of the base or allegations surrounding Al-Shammari’s death. Iraqi and Israeli authorities have not publicly commented.
Israeli strikes continue across Gaza
In Gaza, four Palestinians were killed and several others injured Thursday in a series of Israeli strikes, according to medical sources.
Two people were killed in a drone strike targeting civilians in Jabalia in northern Gaza. Another young man was reportedly shot dead by an Israeli sniper near a UN clinic in the Jabalia refugee camp.
Witnesses said an Israeli drone later bombed people attempting to recover the bodies.
A separate drone strike in Jabalia killed a 25-year-old man, while another Palestinian was injured by Israeli gunfire in Beit Lahia.
In southern Gaza, three children collecting firewood near Khan Younis were wounded in an Israeli strike, with one reported in critical condition.
According to Gaza health authorities, more than 72,000 people — mostly women and children — have been killed since October 2023, with over 172,000 injured.
Although a ceasefire reportedly took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, Gaza officials say at least 856 people have been killed and 2,463 wounded since then.
Illegal settlement expansion continues in Occupied West Bank
In the occupied West Bank, Palestinian authorities accused Israel of beginning illegal settlement construction atop Hebron’s historic municipal building in the Old City.
The Hebron Municipality said Israeli authorities initiated construction work on the roof of the old municipal headquarters in the Ein Al-Askar area, calling it part of broader efforts to alter the character of the city and expand settlements.
The building is located in Hebron’s UNESCO-recognized Old City and has reportedly been closed for years under Israeli military orders.
Municipal officials described the construction as a violation of international law and conventions protecting cultural heritage sites.
Under the 1997 Hebron Protocol, the city was divided into H1 and H2 zones, with Israel maintaining control over the Old City and the Ibrahimi Mosque area.
UN warns of worsening humanitarian conditions
The United Nations also warned Thursday of rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza and increasing settler violence in the West Bank.
UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said displaced families in Gaza are increasingly reporting skin infections and disease outbreaks caused by poor sanitation, overcrowding, and contamination from insects and rodents.
The UN said access to Gaza’s main sanitary landfills remains blocked, worsening public health risks.
In the West Bank, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs documented more than 800 settler attacks this year across 220 Palestinian communities.
According to the UN, approximately 70 Palestinians — including 10 children — were injured by Israeli forces or settlers between May 5 and May 11 alone.
Haq also reported that a Palestinian child was killed during an incident involving settlers who allegedly stole around 700 livestock near Ramallah, forcing at least two Palestinian families from their homes.
{Photo: Relatives of the civil defence workers killed by Israeli forces mourn during the funeral ceremony held for civil defense workers Hassan Jabir and Ahmad Noora, killed in an Israeli drone strike targeting a vehicle despite the ceasefire in Sidon, Lebanon on May 13, 2026. Photojournalist: Mohammad Abushama/AA]
