Jerusalem, March 4 (IANS) UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) has voiced its concern over the plight of children in the Gaza Strip in the wake of Israeli attacks. A statement released by the UN body said it was deeply troubled that the escalation of conflict in Gaza was affecting a large number of children in the area, WAM news agency reported Tuesday.

Since the beginning of the recent round of attacks by Israel, 17 Palestinian children have been killed and more than 200 wounded, the statement said.

Unicef said the Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasises the need to take all possible measures to ensure protection and care of children who are affected in an armed conflict.

Children are the direct casualties of the Israeli aggression as they constitute more than half the population of Gaza, the statement noted.

According to officials from the Hamas-run ministry of health in Gaza, 112 Palestinians were killed in the area since last Wednesday.