The report published on Tuesday cited figures from Lebanon’s Health Ministry, saying at least 22 children have been killed and 89 injured since the temporary ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel came into effect on April 16.
This brings the number of children killed in Israeli strikes since the renewed escalation in hostilities in Lebanon on March 2 to almost 200, with about 2,900 people killed.
Israel has said its air force had hit more than 1,100 sites across Lebanon since mid-April, claiming that the target was the armed Lebanese group Hezbollah.
More than one million people have been displaced by the fighting, and since the ceasefire, the number of families seeking temporary housing in collective shelters has risen by five percent.
About 125,000 people are currently living in such shelters, including 44,800 children – equivalent to 36 percent of occupants.
Conditions in the shelters remain poor due to overcrowding and inadequate sanitation facilities, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.
Lebanon and Israel are due to hold direct talks aimed at ending the war on Thursday and Friday in Washington, DC, the United States.
Both countries have committed to disarming the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, which holds significant political influence in Lebanon and is a key member of Tehran’s “axis of resistance”.
Hezbollah, however, has said it will not surrender its weapons.
On Tuesday, the group’s leader, Naim Qassem, warned that Hezbollah’s arsenal should not be part of the upcoming negotiations.
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Source: This article was originally published by Al Jazeera English
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