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The 'horrendous toll' on children caught in the Israel-Gaza conflict_我的网站

一 | The Israel-Hamas conflict is taking a "horrendous toll" on families, humanitarian organizations like UNICEF decried this week, amid reports of the slaughter and kidnapping of children and attacks on civilian infrastructure that have killed, injured or displaced the most vulnerable.In the days since Hamas' surprise assault on Israel, images from both regions have shown crying children running through the street and cowering in bomb shelters after airstrikes. In Gaza, the bodies of dead children killed in shelling were covered in blankets and carried by their fathers in funeral processions. In the kibbutz of Be'eri, one of the largest in Israel, more than 100 bodies of Israeli citizens were discovered on Monday, with women, children and the elderly "brutally butchered," the Israel Defense Forces said. Israeli children have also been among those reported kidnapped by Hamas terrorists.

A special edition of "20/20" at 10 p.m., Wed., Oct. 11, on ABC looks at life under threat in Israel and Gaza and how this attack is different from what we’ve seen in this region in the past.

"Nothing justifies the killing, maiming or abducting of children -- grave rights violations which UNICEF wholeheartedly condemns. Yet less than 72 hours after the outbreak of horrific violence in Israel, reports indicate that grave rights violations against children are rampant," UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement on Monday. "Many children have been killed or injured, while countless others have been exposed to the violence."According to Palestinian authorities, 900 people have been killed in Gaza so far -- including 260 children and 230 women. The number of children killed in Israel is unclear; at least 900 people have died and 2,600 others have been injured, officials said, though did not specify how many were children. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech Monday that among the "atrocities" committed by Hamas, children have been "executed with the rest of their families."In remarks at the White House Tuesday, President Joe Biden described "Hamas' bloodthirstiness" as reminiscent of ISIS rampages -- including "stomach-churning reports of babies being killed."At least 100 civilians and soldiers have also been taken hostage by Hamas militants, Israeli officials said. Hamas leaders on Monday threatened to begin killing hostages one by one and filming the executions if their demands are not met.Among those abducted were 12- and 16-year-old brothers, their mother told ABC News. The woman, who asked not to be identified for security reasons, said the boys were abducted Saturday by Hamas militants who burst into a safe room at their father's home on a kibbutz near the Gaza border."I want the world to demand the release of those innocent civilians. I want these children and women and babies back home, and I want my children back home," the mother said. "I can't take a shower without thinking of them being held hostage in some dirty pit somewhere. I can't eat, I can't sleep. I don't think human beings treat people like this. I'm sorry. I want the world to know, to demand those hostages to be returned to their homes."In response to the assault, Israel on Monday carried out a "complete siege," cutting off power and blocking food and water from being delivered to the Gaza Strip -- where, according to the CIA, nearly 40% of the population of 2 million is under the age of 15.UNICEF is "extremely alarmed" about those measures, spokesperson James Elder said at a press briefing Tuesday in Geneva."This will add another layer of suffering to the existing catastrophe faced by families in Gaza," Elder said. "Depriving children of access to food and essential services puts their lives at risk, as do attacks on civilian areas and infrastructure."According to UNICEF, 80% of those who live in the Gaza Strip rely on some form of humanitarian assistance.The conflict has led to "grave humanitarian consequences," Lynn Hastings, a humanitarian coordinator for the Gaza Strip for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, while calling for all parties to abide by international humanitarian law."Civilians, especially children, medical facilities, humanitarian personnel health workers, and journalists must be protected," Hastings said in a statement Tuesday. "Captured civilians must be released immediately and unconditionally."UNICEF has also called on all parties to protect children from harm, in accordance with international humanitarian law."I remind all parties that in this war, as in all wars, it is children who suffer first and suffer most," Russell said.。

By Anthony C. Didlake Jr.

Of all the hazards that hurricanes bring, storm surge is the greatest threat to life and property along the coast. It can sweep homes off their foundations, flood riverside communities miles inland, and break up dunes and levees that normally protect coastal areas against storms.

As a hurricane reaches the coast, it pushes a huge volume of ocean water ashore. This is what we call storm surge.

This surge appears as a gradual rise in the water level as the storm approaches. Depending on the size and track of the hurricane, storm surge flooding can last for several hours. It then recedes after the storm passes.

Water level heights during a hurricane can reach 20 feet or more above normal sea level. With powerful waves on top of it, a hurricane’s storm surge can cause catastrophic damage.

What determines how high storm surge gets?

Storm surge begins over the open ocean. The strong winds of a hurricane push the ocean waters around and cause water to pile up under the storm. The low air pressure of the storm also plays a small role in lifting the water level. The height and extent of this pile of water depend on the strength and size of the hurricane.

As this pile of water moves toward the coast, other factors can change its height and extent.

If a coastal area has a sea floor that gently slopes away from the coastline, it’s more likely to see a higher storm surge than an area with a steeper drop-off. Gentle slopes along the Louisiana and Texas coasts have contributed to some devastating storm surges. Hurricane Katrina’s surge in 2005 broke levees and flooded New Orleans. Hurricane Ike’s 15- to 17-foot storm surge and waves swept hundreds of homes off Texas’ Bolivar Peninsula in 2008. Both were large, powerful storms that hit in vulnerable locations.

The shape of the coastline can also shape the surge. When storm surge enters a bay or river, the geography of the land can act as a funnel, sending the water even higher.

Other factors that shape storm surge

Ocean tides – caused by the gravity of the moon and sun – can also strengthen or weaken the impact of storm surge. So, it’s important to know the timing of the local tides compared to the hurricane landfall.

At high tide, the water is already at an elevated height. If landfall happens at high tide, the storm surge will cause even higher water levels and bring more water further inland. The Carolinas saw those effects when Hurricane Isaias hit at close to high tide on Aug. 3, 2020. Isaias brought a storm surge of about 4 feet at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, but the water level was more than 10 feet above normal.

How storm surge and high tide add up to coastal flooding.(The COMET Program/UCAR and National Weather Service)

Sea level rise is another growing concern that influences storm surge.

As water warms, it expands, and that has slowly raised sea level over the past century as global temperatures have risen. Freshwater from melting of ice sheets and glaciers also adds to sea level rise. Together, they elevate the background ocean height. When a hurricane arrives, the higher ocean means storm surge can bring water further inland, to a more dangerous and widespread effect.

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