GENEVA —The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon is deepening as Israel intensified attacks on the country, with UNICEF issuing a harrowing warning regarding the unprecedented rise in child casualties. An average of 11 children have been killed or injured every 24 hours in Lebanon in the last week, as Israel expanded strikes across the country in spite of a ceasefire being in place. Heavy Israeli strikes hit towns and villages in southern Lebanon overnight on Wednesday and into Thursday, after Israel declared a new swathe of the area “a combat zone.” On Thursday, an Israeli strike hit a building in the southern suburbs of Beirut amid a ceasefire that has failed to halt fighting between Israeli troops and Hezbollah in south Lebanon. Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said on Friday the Blue Line in Lebanon does not restrict our ability to act against Hezbollah. “Every strike against Hezbollah is a strike against Iran and its investments,” added Zamir. “We are prepared for any developments and fully ready to confront Iran, the threat posed by drones is a challenge, but we will overcome it,” he said. A total of 77 children have been killed or injured in the last seven days, UNICEF said. Since the ceasefire began in April 55 children have been killed, and 212 injured, according to the agency. UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires described the toll as “staggering”. The ceasefire announced by Washington on April 16 was meant to halt the war raging between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah since March 2.
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