Gaza's destruction (Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Resurfaced Save the Children report highlights 'Israeli' violence before Oct. 7
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- A Save the Children report published on Sept. 18, 2023, weeks before Oct. 7, documented record Palestinian child killings in the occupied West Bank.
- The report described 2023 as the deadliest year on record for children in the West Bank, citing data from the U.N. and other sources.
- UN data later showed violence continued to escalate after Oct. 7, with 2023 ultimately becoming the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since OCHA began recording casualties.
Online users are resharing a 2023 Save the Children article to highlight that ‘Israeli’ violence against Palestinians was already at record levels before Oct. 7, 2023, challenging narratives that the conflict's history began that day.
The article, published by Save the Children on Sept. 18, 2023, reported that at least 38 Palestinian children had been killed by ‘Israeli’ forces in the occupied West Bank during the first nine months of the year. The organization said this made 2023 the deadliest year for children in the West Bank since records began.
Save the Children noted that the figure had been reached after two 16-year-old Palestinian boys were killed in separate incidents earlier that month. It also said 2023 was the second consecutive year in which record numbers of Palestinian children were killed in the West Bank.
The report also documented the July ‘Israel' military operation in Jenin, during which Save the Children said at least four Palestinian children were killed. The organization described the operation as the largest ‘Israeli’ military operation in the West Bank in more than 20 years and said it involved airstrikes.
The figures were not limited to children. According to the report's cited UN data, 36 Palestinian children had been killed in the West Bank by Aug. 31, 2023. Save the Children said two additional child deaths reported in September had been verified by the UN, bringing its figure to 38.
Read more: Katz puts 'Israeli' forces on alert ahead of Oct. 7 anniversary
