UNICEF denounces almost 60 children killed or injured in the last week due to Israeli attacks in Lebanon despite ceasefire

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that nearly 60 children have been killed or injured during the last week due to Israeli attacks against Lebanon despite the ceasefire agreed in mid-April, a period that leaves at least 23 children dead and 93 injured, according to data from the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

“Children are dying or injured when they should be returning to classrooms, playing with their friends and recovering from months of fear and disruption,” said UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder. “Almost a month ago an agreement was reached to silence the guns and stop the violence,” he added.

“The reality is proving to be very different. Continued attacks are killing and injuring children, deepening their exposure to trauma and leaving devastating consequences that could last a lifetime,” he said.

Thus, UNICEF has indicated that some 770,000 children are exposed to violence, loss and displacement, before adding that both minors and their caregivers present symptoms related to traumatic stress and grief, including extreme fear and anxiety, nightmares, insomnia and feelings of hopelessness.

The agency has warned that these children are at serious risk of developing chronic or permanent mental health problems if they do not receive psychosocial support in safe environments, in a situation deepened by the current hostilities and after a UNICEF analysis in 2025 already pointed to a marked deterioration in children’s mental health after the resurgence of the conflict the previous year.

“The impact of repeated exposure to conflict on children’s mental health can be profound and long-lasting. Children in Lebanon have suffered waves of violence, displacement and uncertainty, often with little or no time to recover,” said Beigbeder. Without urgent support, the psychological scars of this aggravated crisis can accompany them for years, affecting not only their well-being, but also their future and that of the entire country,” he added.

For this reason, UNICEF has highlighted that it is expanding mental health and psychosocial support services in Lebanon, including through safe spaces and community programs, although it has regretted that needs continue to far exceed available resources. In this sense, it has called on the parties in conflict to protect children, respect International Humanitarian Law and adopt all necessary measures to guarantee that the ceasefire is respected.

Delegations from Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to meet this Thursday and Friday, May 14 and 15, in Washington, the third meeting since clashes between the Israeli Army and the Lebanese Shiite militia party Hezbollah resumed on March 2, days after the offensive by Israel and the United States against Iran.

Since then, Israel’s attacks in Lebanon have killed nearly 2,900 people and injured more than 8,800, according to the latest report published on Wednesday by the Disaster Risk Management Unit, under the Lebanese Council of Ministers. These figures, which include 108 dead health workers, have continued to increase despite the ceasefire reached in April.