Press Statement// Palestinian children’s day
On the Palestinian Children’s Day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine reaffirms its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the dignity, rights, and lives of Palestinian children, who have suffered the most of systemic oppression, violence, and deprivation, with their fundamental rights consistently violated by Israel, the occupying Power and its illegal settler’s militias.
Palestinian children endure continuous acts of arbitrary, indiscriminate, and excessive use force, resulting in widespread suffering and long-term trauma. In the past six months alone, Israeli indiscriminate bombardments and mass ground invasion in Gaza have unlawfully killed over 14,000 Palestinian children, with thousands more sustaining injuries. Those who survive face inhumane conditions imposed by Israel, including starvation, dehydration, and deprivation of necessities. As well more than 17,000 Palestinian children are now unaccompanied or separated from families in Gaza.
Alongside the indiscriminate attacks on civilians and unlawful killing of at least 106 Palestinian children in the West Bank , including East Jerusalem, in six months, the occupying power has been unrelenting in its illegal colonization practices, including daily mass arrests of Palestinians including children and women, raising the number of detainees to more than 7000 including 200 children. In addition to multiplying military checkpoints and deadly raids of the Palestinian villages and cities with children paying the ultimate and highest price.
On this solemn occasion, we urgently call upon the international community to fulfill its moral and legal obligations to protect Palestinian children from the egregious violations of their rights under international law. Furthermore, the State of Palestine urges the United Nations Secretary-General to include Israeli occupying forces and settlers in the list of parties committing grave violations against children in armed conflict, known as the "List of Shame.”