Gaza is worse than a graveyard for children, UNICEF spokesperson says

Elder told CNN’s Isa Soares Thursday that parents he’s been talking to in Gaza have realized hospitals are no longer an option for their children due to the continuous attacks that have made hospitals harder to reach. 

“Most crises they impact children terribly because children are the most vulnerable, but most have about a casualty rate of children around 20%, this [Gaza conflict] is 40 [%],” he said. “This is twice as lethal to children as many conflicts we’ve seen in the last 15 or 20 years.” 

CNN cannot independently verify these numbers. 

Context: According to the latest statement on Friday by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, which draws its numbers from sources in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, Israeli attacks have killed at least 18,700 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7, 70% of whom were children and women.