The fourth of June of each year marks the
"International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression", which
is a UN occasion to highlight the grave violations to which children are
exposed in conflict areas. In this context, the Palestinian Foundation for
Human Rights (Witness) affirms that what children have been subjected to in the
Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, amounts to a systematic crime of genocide,
committed in flagrant violation of international law, in particular the 1989
Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Prevention of
the Prohibition of The 1948 Genocide and International Humanitarian Law.
Flagrant violations of the Convention on the Rights of
the Child
The catastrophic humanitarian reality experienced by the
children of Gaza constitutes a direct violation of a number of essential
articles of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, most notably
Article 6, which guarantees every child the right to life, survival and
development, Article 24, which guarantees his right to the highest attainable
standard of health, Article 27, which enshrines his right to a standard of
living adequate for his integrated development, and Article 38, which obliges
States to respect and protect children in times of armed conflict, including
taking all possible measures to ensure Their security and safety.
A horrific reality in numbers
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza,
more than 15,000 children have been killed as a result of the ongoing Israeli
bombardment until the end of May 2025. More than a million children are denied
the most basic rights: food, health care, education and safety.
According to Save the Children, more than 17,000 children have become orphans,
a shocking figure that reflects the depth of the social wound left by the war.
UNICEF reports that 94 per cent of children under the age of two suffer from
acute nutritional insecurity, while 335,000 children are at risk of life-threatening
malnutrition.
Urgent recommendations
Based on the above, the Palestinian Foundation for Human
Rights (witness) demands the following:
1. Immediately cease the Israeli aggression and lift the
blockade completely, in compliance with the principle of protecting children in
armed conflict.
2. Permanently open the crossings and facilitate the entry of
humanitarian aid, especially food, water, medicines, and school and health
supplies.
3. Activate international accountability mechanisms, including
the International Criminal Court, to hold accountable perpetrators of grave
violations against Palestinian children.
4. Providing specialized programs for psychological and social
care for children, especially orphans and people with disabilities, through
partnership with the competent UN agencies.
5. Call on the media and civil society organizations to continue
extensive coverage of child rights violations in Gaza, and to strengthen
pressure and advocacy campaigns.
6. Call on States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the
Child to fulfill their international obligations and take practical steps to
protect Palestinian children and guarantee their fundamental rights.
Palestinian Association for Human Rights (witness)
4\6\2025