2022 deadliest year for Palestinian children in 15 years: HRW

The year 2022 was the deadliest for Palestinian children in 15 years, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday.

In a statement, the New York-based rights group said that 2022 witnessed a spike in the death of Palestinian children by Israeli fire in the occupied West Bank.

"The Israeli military and border police forces are killing Palestinian children with virtually no recourse for accountability," HRW said.

The rights group said while 2022 was the deadliest for Palestinian children in 15 years, "2023 is on track to meet or exceed 2022 levels."

According to the organization, at least 34 Palestinian children were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank until Aug. 22.

"Israeli forces are gunning down Palestinian children living under occupation with increasing frequency," HRW Associate Director for Children's Rights Bill Van Esveld said.

He added that if no pressure is exerted on Israel, especially from the United States, to change its policy, "more Palestinian children will be killed."

"Palestinian children live a reality of apartheid and structural violence, where they could be gunned down at any time without any serious prospect of accountability," Van Esveld said.

There was no comment yet from the Israeli authorities on the HRW report.

Tensions have been running high across the occupied West Bank in recent months amid repeated Israeli raids into Palestinian towns along with attacks and assaults carried out by Israeli settlers who are usually guarded by the Israeli army.

More than 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the start of this year, according to the Health Ministry. At least 34 Israelis - soldiers and settlers-have also been killed in Palestinian attacks during the same period, marking the highest figure of Israeli fatalities since 2005.